A Tukwila resident, Anthony Escoto, 52, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking operation connected to the Aryan Family and Omerta prison gangs. The sentencing took place in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, with Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller announcing the decision.
At the hearing, Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo stated, “Controlled substances cause a huge amount of damage… the damage is not just to the individual but also to the community.”
Court records show that Escoto was heard on wiretaps arranging large-scale methamphetamine and fentanyl deals. After one transaction, police stopped a car Escoto was riding in; although his co-defendant claimed ownership of the drugs found inside, investigators determined through wiretap evidence that they belonged to Escoto. A search of Escoto’s home on March 22, 2023 led authorities to more methamphetamine and two firearms—a shotgun and an SKS rifle—which he was prohibited from possessing due to his felony record.
Escoto denies membership in any Aryan prison gang but has several neo-Nazi tattoos and a history of violence involving racial slurs. His criminal record spans over thirty years and includes convictions for aggravated assault, identity theft, drug trafficking, assault with a deadly weapon, obstruction of justice, and domestic assault.
The investigation culminated on March 22, 2023 with law enforcement arresting two dozen individuals on federal charges during a coordinated operation involving ten SWAT teams and more than 350 officers across Washington and Arizona. Authorities seized 177 firearms; over ten kilograms of methamphetamine; significant quantities of fentanyl pills and powder; heroin; cocaine; and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash from multiple locations. Earlier phases resulted in additional seizures including nearly one million fentanyl pills.
Escoto pleaded guilty on April 22, 2025 to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Jesse Bailey, identified as the leader of the ring, received a sentence of 17.5 years earlier this year. Prosecutors recommended thirteen years for Escoto: “Escoto’s criminality is a result of his decisions, his attitudes toward criminal activity, and his disrespect for other individual members of society who may be victimized by such behavior. Escoto committed the instant offenses in association with members of the Aryan Family and Omerta prison gangs, and while he denies belonging to either gang, he appears to share their ideology of white supremacy and racial animus.”
Chief Judge Estudillo ordered five years’ supervised release after Escoto’s prison term.
The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation—an initiative designed to target major drug traffickers using collaboration among federal, state, and local agencies.
The FBI led this investigation with support from agencies including the DEA; Homeland Security Investigations; Washington State Department of Corrections; Tacoma Police Department; Pierce County Sheriff’s Office; Thurston County Narcotics Task Force (led by Thurston County Sheriff’s Office); Washington State Patrol; Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine; Lewis County Sheriff’s Office; Lakewood Police Department; and U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Dillon, Max Shiner, and Jehiel Baer prosecuted the case.
