Tessa M. Gorman, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington
Joel Adrian Valencia Rosas, a 28-year-old from Lakewood, Washington, was sentenced to ten years in prison for leading a drug trafficking organization that distributed drugs across multiple states. The sentencing took place in U.S. District Court in Tacoma and was announced by U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman.
Valencia Rosas was indicted in December 2023 after an investigation revealed his involvement in trafficking cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana to areas as far as Georgia and Ohio. The organization also imported and distributed fentanyl and cocaine within Western Washington. Social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram were used by the group to communicate and recruit members.
At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright remarked on Valencia Rosas's use of social media to glamorize drug dealing: “He used the lower-level members of the drug ring to take on higher risks… Mr. Valencia Rosas was willing to recruit and sacrifice others to make more money.”
U.S. Attorney Gorman highlighted the age range of those involved, stating, “The defendants in this case are all young – 18-28 years old. Mr. Valencia Rosas, the ringleader of this trafficking group, actively enticed young people to join his criminal enterprise.” She noted that he portrayed drug trafficking as glamorous through posts featuring firearms, vehicles, and cash.
The investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) resulted in significant seizures: nearly 52 kilos of cocaine, over 23 kilos of fentanyl pills, and 131 kilos of marijuana were confiscated. One shipment contained 37 kilos of cocaine and more than a kilo of fentanyl pills.
Records show that Valencia Rosas had been involved in drug trafficking since at least 2018. Despite having his Snapchat account closed in December 2022, he continued his activities on Instagram throughout 2023.
Assistant United States Attorney Marci Ellsworth requested an 11-year sentence for Valencia Rosas due to his extensive network: “Valencia Rosas was so successful that he could not traffic the drugs without bringing others into his criminal orbit... none of those codefendants made money from their involvement in the DTO.”
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation aimed at dismantling high-level criminal organizations through collaboration among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
The prosecution team includes Assistant United States Attorneys Marci L. Ellsworth and Crystal Correa.