Richland Brothers Face Decades for Fentanyl Smuggling

Richland, Washington – In a grim turn of events, Kyle Ray Campbell, 36, and his brother Cameron Earl Campbell, 32, were sentenced to decades in federal prison for their role in the illegal trafficking of hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills into the Tri-Cities region.

The Campbells hailing from Richland, Washington, were caught with intent to distribute massive quantities of the deadly substance. According to court documents and evidence presented during sentencing, Kyle Campbell traveled to San Diego, meeting with a contact who provided him with fentanyl-laced pills smuggled across the Mexican border. Cameron Campbell stepped in to make these trips when he was off supervision from the Washington State Department of Corrections.

Between early 2019 and February 2020, the brothers were said to have received around 50,000 fentanyl pills monthly. Their operation came to a halt on February 8, 2020, when Cameron Campbell made several trips between San Ysidro, California, and Mexico before being intercepted by FBI agents in Toppenish, Washington.

Following their arrest, law enforcement recovered approximately 10,000 fentanyl-laced pills from seized bags and discovered further evidence on Cameron Campbell’s cell phone, including text messages detailing the drug smuggling operation. Kyle Campbell was found guilty of possessing a safe containing 400 fentanyl-laced pills, baggies with drug residue, firearms, and other incriminating items at his home.

During sentencing, Chief Judge Stanley A. Bastian noted that both defendants had obstructed justice. Cameron attempted to erase cell phones seized by the FBI, while Kyle threatened a witness. Despite professing remorse, they were also caught smuggling drugs into Benton County Jail for distribution to inmates.

“The defendants distributed a shocking amount of deadly illicit fentanyl,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “My office is committed to battling this epidemic by working together with our partners to remove the source of supply and protect our community.” Richard A. Collodi echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the devastating impact of every fentanyl pill introduced into communities.