Federal agents net record-breaking drug seizure in Eastern Washington
By Griffin Beach on Monday, March 9th, 2026 in Columbia Basin News Columbia Basin Top Stories
SPOKANE – Federal prosecutors announced Friday the largest seizure of controlled substances in the history of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington.
Federal agents executed search warrants March 3 at multiple locations across the Tri-Cities area. The raids were the result of an investigation into Amador Sanchez and several alleged co-conspirators. At the time of the investigation, Sanchez was on federal supervised release following a previous drug trafficking conviction.
That investigation revealed that Sanchez utilized multiple residences, comprising each of the communities that comprise the Tri-Cities areas, to facilitate and conceal illegal activities. Approximately over 200 pounds of methamphetamine, 164 pounds of powdered fentanyl, and five pounds of cocaine were seized along with approximately $2,000,000 in U.S. currency and 16 firearms were seized. The office does note those are preliminary estimates.
The investigation is ongoing and indictments are expected to be presented to a federal grand jury.
