Feds targeting Tri-Cities fentanyl drug dealers

Methamphetamine continues to rule the drug trade in Eastern Washington, but synthetic opioids are gaining a foothold.

Already this year federal agents with the help of local officers have arrested eight suspected fentanyl dealers.

Six made initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Richland this week on charges linked to selling fentanyl in the Tri-Cities.

In one case, a police detective found two guns, 500-700 blue pills, $4,200 in cash and other suspected drugs during a search of a pickup truck at a Richland hotel.

The illegally produced fentanyl was stamped with the letter "M" on one side and the number "30" on the other.

They are often called "Mexis" or "Oxy 30," say police.

Drug Enforcement Administration agents working with Pasco police, the Benton County Sheriff's Office and the Tri-Cities Metro Drug Task Force searched at least three homes in recent days, including a mobile home in Finley.

Many of the details about the operation that swept through the area have yet to be released.

Those arrested include:

• Dustin Zuhlke, Remijo Morfin Mendoza and Christopher Armer are each charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and distribution of fentanyl.
• Taylor Fertig is charged with distribution of fentanyl.
• Cesar Ochoa is charged with two counts of distribution of methamphetamine and two counts of distribution of fentanyl.
• Peter Polis is charged with distribution of fentanyl.

Detention hearings are set for them next week.

Earlier this year, Trevor Hummel and Dustin Ogland were also arrested on suspicion of selling the illegal drugs.

One suspect told police that he was resupplied with about 1,500 “Mexi Pills” a week earlier for about $15 to $18 per pill, said court documents.

He planned to sell them for about $22 each. And he said it's not uncommon for him to get resupplied weekly with about 1,000 pills.

Tracy Simmons, the assistant special agent in charge of the DEA's Spokane District Office, said meth made up 46 percent of the cases in the Spokane district last year, while 22 percent involved opioids such as heroin or fentanyl.

"We used to see 10 pounds of meth and two pounds of heroin," Simmons said. "Now we see 10 pounds of meth, two pounds of heroin and a bag of pills."

Most of the fentanyl that makes it to the Tri-Cities comes from Chinese companies, Simmons said.

The drugs are often sold through a collection of hidden internet chat rooms or secret websites, referred to as the dark web.

This internet black market allows the Mexican cartels to spend $5,000 to $6,000 per pound to buy pure fentanyl from Chinese manufacturers.

Once the drugs arrive in Mexico, a single pound of fentanyl can make 16 pounds of imitation heroin or hundreds of fake oxycodone pills.

However, these manufacturers do not have quality control, so it's possible to get a pill that doesn't do anything, or one with a lethal dose.

Since January 2017, 14 people in Kennewick have died from opioid overdoses, said police.

This story was originally published June 16, 2018 at 1:17 PM with the headline "Feds targeting Tri-Cities fentanyl drug dealers."