A Mexican citizen, Ramon Duarte Garcia, 38, has been sentenced to ten years in prison for drug trafficking by the U.S. District Court in Seattle. The sentencing was announced by Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller following a nearly four-year investigation that led to his arrest in June 2024.
During the investigation, authorities seized over 32 kilograms of cocaine, 14 kilograms of methamphetamine, 83,000 fentanyl-laced pills, three kilograms of heroin, and one kilogram of fentanyl powder. Judge Tana Lin stated during sentencing that Duarte Garcia "showed no respect for the law."
Acting U.S. Attorney Miller highlighted the international scope of the investigation: “In this investigation, federal and state investigators worked from the streets of Seattle to drug suppliers in Mexico and Colombia.” She emphasized that significant prison time is necessary to halt Duarte Garcia's trafficking activities.
David F. Reames from the DEA Seattle Field Division praised the collaboration between various agencies: “This cooperative effort is a win for the good guys and a tremendous example of truly international cooperation.”
Court records reveal that despite previous law enforcement stops in July and December 2023—where drugs and firearms were confiscated—Duarte Garcia continued his illegal activities. A search on December 4, 2023 uncovered substantial quantities of cocaine along with weapons and cash.
Prosecutors argued for a twelve-year sentence due to Duarte Garcia’s repeated offenses: “Duarte Garcia made a conscious and repeated choice to put his needs above those of the community,” they wrote.
Duarte Garcia had overstayed his visa in the U.S., leading to likely deportation after serving his sentence. If he remains in the country post-release, he will be under supervised release for three years.
The case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative aimed at dismantling high-level criminal organizations through coordinated efforts across multiple agencies.
The DEA led this extensive investigation with support from several local police departments as well as national entities like Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). International partners included Colombian authorities who collaborated closely with U.S. law enforcement throughout this process.
Assistant United States Attorneys Joe Silvio and C. Andrew Colasurdo are prosecuting these cases within Washington's Western District.
