Vieyra Salas, Guillermo, Fentanyl Trafficking, Washington 2022

Three men have been arrested in connection with the distribution of over 75,000 fentanyl pills in Whatcom County, Washington.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Guillermo Vieyra Salas, 22, and Jaime Alonso Hernandez-Hernandez, 41, were arrested in Bellingham, Washington, and Manuel Lugo was arrested in Wilmington, North Carolina.

The three men are charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, a crime that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years and up to life in prison.

The investigation, led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), began in August 2022 when agents learned of a drug trafficking network bringing fentanyl pills to Western Washington from Mexico.

Agents, acting in an undercover capacity, purchased an initial batch of 2,000 fentanyl pills in August 2022 and requested 75,000 pills for $112,000 in September 2022.

The deal was set for September 28, 2022, near the Bellingham airport, but the three men were arrested before they could deliver the drugs.

Vieyra Salas and Hernandez-Hernandez appeared in U.S. District Court in Seattle on October 24, 2022, while Lugo will appear in U.S. District Court in North Carolina on the same date.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Yunah Chung.

The charges against the three men are only allegations, and they are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The investigation involved HSI, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The pills seized in the investigation are valued at over $100,000.

According to U.S. Attorney Nick Brown, taking fentanyl-laced pills off the street is a top priority for federal law enforcement, and the defendants’ alleged actions were a threat to the community.

The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office also expressed relief at the disruption of the drug trafficking network, citing the devastating impact of fentanyl overdoses in the county.