Federal agents fanned out to roughly 17 locations across Washington, Oregon, and California on Wednesday, arresting 14 people accused of running a drug-and-gun trafficking network tied to a Tacoma street gang. Prosecutors say the group produced counterfeit oxycodone and Xanax pills and moved fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine while trading drugs for firearms. Authorities described the arrests as the product of a months-long wiretap investigation and coordinated multiagency work, disclosed this week in federal statements and agency briefings.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington, the indictments allege the ring was affiliated with the Black Gangster Disciples and was led by 27-year-old Kevin Salgado of Puyallup. The office says Salgado and others pressed narcotic pills for distribution and shipped them nationwide, and that investigators have tied three overdose deaths to Salgado’s activity. The filing lists 14 defendants and says the federal probe relied on court-authorized wiretaps and digital evidence gathered across state lines.
Seizures and suspected overdoses
Authorities reported sweeping seizures that included dozens of firearms, more than 100 “Glock” conversion devices and large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and counterfeit oxycodone pills, as detailed in agency releases. As reported by the DEA, officers recovered roughly 39 firearms, hundreds of grams of fentanyl and multiple kilograms of counterfeit pills on the day of the raids.
How investigators say the ring operated
The U.S. Attorney’s Office notes the probe, led by Homeland Security Investigations, found members allegedly hacking delivery accounts to reroute drug shipments, paying kickbacks to a pharmacist for fraudulent prescriptions, and trafficking stolen firearms equipped with conversion switches. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington says the case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elyne Vaught and Michael Harder. The charges are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court…