MOSES LAKE, Wash. — The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said 15 people were arrested Tuesday after multiple law enforcement agencies executed search warrants in connection to drug trafficking.
According to DEA officials, more than 300 law enforcement officials executed 19 federal search warrants in Grant, Yakima and Adams Counties.
A federal grand jury in Eastern Washington returned an indictment on July 10 charging 16 people for conspiracy to distribute meth and heroin, according to DEA officials.
The lead defendants in the case, Luis Manuel Farias-Carendas, 40, and Joshua Isaac Stine, 34, are accused of being the leaders of the drug trafficking conspiracy, DEA leaders said. Both were taken into custody Tuesday. Twelve others named in the indictment are also in custody pending an initial appearance in federal court in Spokane.
The following names are the other 12 people included in the indictment.
Patrick Elliot Pearson, 47, of Moses Lake
Cristian Misael Gomez, 23, of Grant County
Luis Manuel Ramirez, 25, of Moses Lake
Zacarias Martinez-Garza, 23 of Moses Lake
Mariano Ruiz-Balderas, 19, of Moses Lake
Jesse Leon Manion Jr., 55, of Moses Lake
Heather Elaine Keating, 41, of Moses Lake
Leonel Caballero, 62, of Warden
Forrest Walker Herzog, 34, of Moses Lake
Amy Jo Dygert, 33, of Moses Lake
Michael Edward McLaughlin, 59, of Ephrata
Jesus Valenica-Morfin , 31, of Yakima
One additional person, Tomas Gomez, 49, of Los Angeles, Calif., was also arrested during the operation and charged by federal complaint, officials said.
DEA officials said agents and officers have seized pound quantities of meth, cocaine and heroin, over 50 firearms and cash.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Border Patrol were doing a large-scale enforcement action targeting a meth and heroin trafficking organization in central and eastern Washington, according to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. They said it was a continuation of a December 2017 operation against violent drug traffickers in Grant County. This investigation resulted in 24 people pleading guilty in federal court and eight pounds of meth, 10 vehicles, $25,000 and more than 80 firearms were seized.
The Grant County Sheriff’s Office said during one of the operations, two ATF Special Agents were injured at a home in the 2400 block of Road E.5-Northeast in Mae Valley community. Their injuries are non-life threatening, according to officials. They were given medical attention on scene and were taken to a hospital for further evaluations and treatment. Grant County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer Kyle Foreman said both agents were hit with bullet shrapnel. Both agents were wearing bulletproof vest, Foreman said.
Deputy Darrik Gregg with the Grant County Sheriff's Office said they did not fire any shots, only the suspect was actively shooting.
Officials said the special agents were taken to the hospital, but have been released.
A suspect was also injured in the operation, Grant County Sheriff’s officials said. They believe the suspect shot himself as the special agents executed the search warrant.
Officials said the suspect was transported to a Spokane hospital and his condition is unknown at this time. The suspect’s identity is being withheld because he is a subject of a federal investigation. Police are looking through the area to continue working through the search warrant.
The shooting is being investigated by the Grant County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit.
Neighbors told KREM 2 they heard gun shots around 6 a.m. Tuesday. They said it sounded like an earthquake above their heads. "There were lots of big booms and gun shots," said a witness who did not want to be named. "I hear some like pounding and I was still sleeping, so I thought it was a part of my dream. And then my mom came in my room and asked if I was okay. And then we looked out the window like five minutes later, and there were a bunch of cop cars and a helicopter."