Caption: The SPD photo shows some of the evidence seized this year from drug traffickers. The city’s recent crackdown on drug trafficking has led to a significant increase in the number of felony drug cases charged by the city.
Seattle police have charged more felony drug trafficking cases in the first three quarters of 2025 than in all of 2024, marking a 42% increase in prosecutions and underscoring the city’s dual strategy of law enforcement and public health investment to combat the fentanyl crisis.
According to Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and Police Chief Shon Barnes, arrests made by the Seattle Police Department (SPD) through September have led to 193 felony drug trafficking charges filed by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (KCPAO)– 57 more than the total for all of 2024. Roughly 70% of the cases involve fentanyl, methamphetamine, or both, and about 20% also include charges of unlawful firearm possession due to prior convictions…