Four individuals have been charged in federal court for their alleged involvement in a drug trafficking conspiracy that included the distribution of more than 20 pounds of cocaine, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. The lead defendant, Luis Donaldo Galeana Garcia, 29, a Mexican citizen living in Marysville, was ordered detained after a magistrate judge determined he posed both a flight risk and a danger to the community.
Authorities began investigating the defendants last summer as potential members of a drug trafficking operation. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents identified Galeana Garcia as a significant distributor of drugs in western Washington State. By late September 2025, law enforcement learned about Galeana Garcia’s plan to exchange around 20 pounds of cocaine for 15 pounds of methamphetamine and $155,000. Three other individuals were implicated: Juan Carlos Garnica Pacheco, 33, from Everett; Lorena Esquivel, 35; and Dustin Ray Binion, 27, both from Bellingham.
Law enforcement intervened during the attempted drug exchange. Galeana Garcia and Garnica Pacheco abandoned their vehicle at the scene. Authorities seized several vehicles and executed court-authorized search warrants that led to the discovery of more than 10 kilograms of cocaine and a 9mm firearm found in one vehicle’s center console. Search warrants were also carried out at the defendants’ residences last week. Both Galeana-Garcia and Garnica Pacheco were found with numerous firearms and ammunition for semiautomatic weapons. This evidence was presented to Magistrate Judge Kate Vaughan, who ordered Galeana Garcia detained.
Because of the large quantity of narcotics involved in this case, the defendants face a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison if convicted.
“The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law,” stated officials.
The arrests are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, which aims to combat criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling operations within the United States and abroad through interagency collaboration.
The investigation is being led by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Vincent T. Lombardi is prosecuting the case.
