34 indicted in prison gang drug trafficking conspiracy in Eastern Washington

EASTERN WASHINGTON — Federal, state and local law enforcement officers arrested over 26 people suspected members or associates of the La Nuestra Familia prison gang in Eastern Washington in a large-scale, coordinated operation early Thursday morning spanning an investigation of over two years.

According to federal officials, “Operation Dizzy is designed to disrupt, dismantle and/or remove the influence of the organized criminal organization/prison gang La Nuestra Familia from establishing, utilizing, continuing and/or profiting from criminal activities in the Eastern District of Washington and other areas.”

Suspects involved or associated with the prison gang have been charged with a long list of federal offenses, including criminal conspiracy, possession and distribution of illegal drugs, cockfighting, illegal use of the U.S. Mail, and attempting to kill people who assisted law enforcement in the investigation.

U.S. Attorney’s Office officials said they served  search warrants across the Yakima and Spokane areas Thursday morning and were able to recover 37 firearms, pound quantities of cocaine and methamphetamine, more than 8,000 fentanyl-laced pills and hundreds of roosters allegedly used in cockfights in Zillah and Outlook.

The results of the operation were announced at a press conference Thursday afternoon outside the William O. Douglas Federal Courthouse in Yakima.

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington Vanessa Waldref, ATF Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais, Yakima Police Chief Matt Murray, Yakima County Sheriff Bob Udell spoke, standing alongside other federal, state and local law enforcement officers involved in the operation.

Agencies involved in Operation Dizzy include:

U.S. Attorney’s Office

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Drug Enforcement Administration

Homeland Security Investigations

Bureau of Indian Affairs

U.S. Marshals Service

U.S. Border Patrol

Federal Bureau of Prisons

ICE Enforcement Removal Operations

Washington State Patrol

Washington State Department of Corrections

Washington State Gambling Commission

Yakima Police Department

Yakima County Sheriff’s Office

Grandview Police Department

Walla Walla Regional Drug Task Force

Selah Police Department

Spokane Police Department

Spokane County Sheriff’s Office

Apple Valley News Now’s Emily Goodell attended the press conference and will have more on this operation during tonight’s newscasts.

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