Drug Cartel Ties: Washington Men Convicted in Seven-Day Trial
SEATTLE – In a major blow to organized crime, two men connected to a Mexican cartel were convicted today in U.S. District Court in Seattle on federal charges related to their drug distribution. According to the U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan, Raul Anchondo, 29, was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, Conspiracy to Possess Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crimes & Crimes of Violence, and Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. His accomplice, Richard Anthony Ortiz, 33, was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances and Possession of Heroin with Intent to Distribute.
The jury deliberated about five hours following the seven-day trial. Anchondo faces a mandatory minimum 15 years in prison and up to life in prison, while Ortiz faces a mandatory minimum 10 years in prison and up to life in prison. They are set to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik on September 27, 2013.
According to records filed in the case, during the investigation, agents seized multiple kilos of heroin, pounds of methamphetamine, and more than a dozen firearms, including military-style assault rifles which were bound for cartel members in Mexico. The investigation, which began in March 2012, is part of a wide-ranging international drug conspiracy that has led to the charging of 34 people.
Anchondo ran a stash house for drugs and bulk cash in Arizona, and later became a courier, bringing multi-pound loads of methamphetamine and kilos of heroin up to Western Washington in hidden compartments of various load vehicles. Ortiz, on the other hand, was a kilo quantity distributor of heroin in Western Washington, making calls to arrange drug deliveries even as he was leaving the office of his state community corrections officer.
The case is an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, providing supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved. The case was investigated by the ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Lake Stevens Police Department, the Snohomish Police Department, Washington State Patrol, the Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force and the Seattle Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Vince Lombardi and John McNeil. The convictions are a significant blow to the Mexican cartel’s operations in the United States, and demonstrate the commitment of law enforcement agencies to disrupting and dismantling organized crime groups.
Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.
Related Federal Cases
Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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