Leader of large drug trafficking network sentenced to 10 years in prison

For the Reporter

The leader of a large drug trafficking group with ties to California and Mexico, was sentenced Friday in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, announced U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes.

Ediberto Asevez Santillano, 37, of Renton, was arrested in August 2015 with two kilos of methamphetamine in his bedroom and more than $17,000 in cash in his residence. During the course of the investigation law enforcement seized more than 29 pounds of meth, more than 18 pounds of heroin, six pounds of cocaine, approximately $178,000 in cash and 16 firearms, including five assault rifles.

At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Marsha J. Pechman said, “You brought serious drugs into this country…. Your whole family has suffered because of this.”

The investigation involved court authorized wire-taps and extensive surveillance of members of the criminal group. When law enforcement moved in to make arrests they served search warrants on 17 residences, three storage facilities and more than a dozen vehicles tied to the criminal group. Search warrants were executed in: Auburn, Bellevue, SeaTac, Seattle, Tukwila, Renton, Kent, Port Orchard, and Everett. In all, 22 defendants were charged in the case.

Those sentenced to date in this case include:

Brian Christensen, 40, of Port Orchard – seven years in prison;

Will Edward Brambila, 27, of Kent – four years in prison;

Sendhy Amairany Felix Acevez, 22, of SeaTac – three years in prison;

Francisco Flores Penuelas, 44, of Kent – three years in prison;

Hanzel Knight, 43, of Auburn – five years in prison;

Heriberto Pacheco Juarez, 23, of Kent – five years in prison;

Alfonso Leos Villasenor, 21, of Kent – five years in prison;

Steven James Montgomery, 53, of Edmonds – four years in prison;

Ricardo Topete, 25, of Seattle – four years in prison.

Clarence Daniels, 36, of Kent – seven years in prison.

Joseph Moore, 49, Kent – five years in prison.

This was an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation, providing supplemental federal funding to the federal and state agencies involved. The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI and the Seattle Police Department.

The searches and arrests involved agents and officers from: Homeland Security Investigations – Seattle, Port of Seattle Police Department, Washington State Patrol, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, Snohomish Regional Drug And Gang Task Force, King County Sheriff’s Office, Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, Lynnwood Police Department, Kent Police Department, Renton Police Department, Auburn Police Department, Tukwila Police Department, Federal Way Police Department, and the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vince Lombardi and Thomas Woods are prosecuting the case.