A 38-year-old Mexican citizen, Ramon Duarte Garcia, was 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. Duarte Garcia was arrested in June 2024 after a nearly four-year investigation that led to the seizure of substantial quantities of illegal drugs.
The investigation revealed that between 2020 and June 2024, law enforcement confiscated over 32 kilograms of cocaine, 14 kilograms of methamphetamine, 83,000 fentanyl-laced pills, three kilograms of heroin, and one kilogram of fentanyl powder linked to Duarte Garcia’s operations.
U.S. District Judge Tana Lin stated during the sentencing: “You showed no respect for the law. Getting involved in drug dealing when you entered the country.”
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 despite multiple stops by law enforcement, Duarte Garcia continued his trafficking activities.
David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge at DEA Seattle Field Division remarked on the collaboration involved: “This cooperative effort is a win for the good guys and a tremendous example of the truly international cooperation needed to tackle this immense threat.”
Court records show that Duarte Garcia’s criminal activities persisted even after being stopped twice in 2023 with significant drug seizures from his vehicle. On December 4, 2023, authorities seized 13 kilograms of cocaine along with firearms and other paraphernalia from his car.
Prosecutors sought a twelve-year sentence due to what they described as Duarte Garcia’s “conscious and repeated choice” to endanger lives through his actions.
Duarte Garcia had overstayed his visa and faces likely deportation after serving his sentence. If he remains in the U.S., he will be under supervised release for three years post-incarceration.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative aimed at dismantling high-level criminal organizations through coordinated efforts among various agencies including DEA, IRS Criminal Investigation, Seattle Police Department among others.
The Colombian National Police (CNP) and Colombian Prosecutor’s Office collaborated with U.S. authorities on this case with assistance from several federal and local agencies.
Assistant United States Attorneys Joe Silvio and C. Andrew Colasurdo are prosecuting these cases in Washington’s Western District.
