A U.S. citizen involved in an international drug smuggling operation was sentenced to five years in prison by the U.S. District Court in Seattle, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. Curtis McDaniel, 56, was arrested at a Tukwila motel over a year ago and has remained in custody since then. The arrest was part of a broader investigation involving law enforcement agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Seattle Police Department, and IRS Criminal Investigation.
U.S. District Judge Tana Lin emphasized the significant impact of McDaniel’s distribution of methamphetamine and cocaine on the community during sentencing. Methamphetamine and cocaine were noted as the second and third most common substances involved in overdose deaths in King County last year.
Ramon Duarte Garcia, 37, identified as a major drug supplier, was previously sentenced to ten years in prison after being apprehended with 12 pounds of methamphetamine, a stolen firearm, and $10,000 from drug trafficking activities. Another defendant, Humberto Lopez Rodriguez, is awaiting sentencing next month.
The investigation led to the seizure of large quantities of drugs including fentanyl pills and powder, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, along with $71,000 in drug proceeds and several firearms.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation aimed at dismantling high-level criminal networks threatening the United States. The DEA and Seattle Police Department spearheaded this investigation with support from multiple federal and local agencies.
International cooperation included efforts from Colombian authorities like the Colombian National Police (CNP) and Colombian Prosecutor’s Office (Fiscalia General). The Justice Department’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá also provided crucial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Joe Silvio and C. Andrew Colasurdo are prosecuting these cases for the Western District of Washington.
