Edmonds Man Arrested in DEA Raid of Regional Heroin, Meth and Cocaine Ring

An Edmonds man was among those arrested on Wednesday in a Drug Enforcement Administration operation allegedly involving the trafficking of heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine.

Timothy Rishor, 36, was one of 20 people taken in during the sweep of the Puget Sound area, according to a news release from the office of the U.S. Department of Justice's Attorney for Western Washington, Jenny A. Durkin.

The coordinated raids in a DEA and Seattle Police-led investigation also netted arrests of residents of Lynnwood, Everett and Mountlake Terrace. Most of the suspects were arrested Wednesday morning and were scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Seattle Wednesday afternoon.

The probe involved court-authorized wiretaps, which authorities allege revealed how the conspirators brought large loads of the drugs into the Seattle area from California, distributing it in Western Washington and Canada.

The news release said search warrants were executed on 18 residences or businesses and several vehicles. Police and federal agents seized 24 pounds of methamphetamine and cocaine, as well as $35,000 in cash. Over the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized more than $700,000 in cash, 11 kilos of cocaine, 40 pounds of methamphetamine and four firearms.

"Organizations that think we cannot track their crimes across borders are wrong. We will use all of our tools to shut down their operations and seize their profits,” Durkan said. “I commend the tremendous collaboration by federal, state and local law enforcement in disrupting this drug ring.”

Among the Snohomish County agencies taking part in the raids were the Lynnwood and Monroe police departments, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force and the South Snohomish County Narcotics Task Force.

The defendants are charged with various federal crimes including conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and/or conspiracy to engage in money laundering. In addition to Rishor, those charged include:

• Jose Rodriguez-Rivera, 38, Lynnwood
• Juan Siquiero-Gonzalez, 33, Federal Way
• Luis Orozco-Lopez, 21, Sedro-Woolley
• Uriel Amin Martinez-Botello, 31, Everett
• Hugo Gomez-Barrada, 29, Seattle
• Lorenzo Rodriguez-Rivera, 35, Mountlake Terrace
• Elmer Alvarez-Ochoa, 39, Lynnwood
• Ramon Barrera, 35, Mountlake Terrace
• Pedro Lopez, 38, Seattle
• Jose Rodriquez-Lujan, 36, Kent
• Gerson Fletes-Ramos, 30, Shoreline
• Dagoberto Herrera-Avila, 37, Sea-Tac
• Javier Cabrera-Arteaga, 26, Shoreline
• Manuel Mejia-Garay, 32, Seattle
• Enrique Munoz-Andres, 32, Pacific
• Juan Gomez-Diaz, 37, Des Moines
• Joshua Abellera, 37, Shoreline
• Mayra Mendez-Rodriguez, 28, Mountlake Terrace
• Mario Gamiz-Yescas, Kirkland

The following agencies also provided assistance: Immigration and Customs Enforcement—Homeland Security Investigations, United States Marshals Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Eastside Narcotics Task Force, King County Sherriff’s Office, Kirkland Police Department, Skagit County Sheriff’s Office and the Washington Department of Corrections.