The son of a high-ranking member of the notorious Sinaloa Cartel was jailed after a police raid uncovered 42,000 fentanyl pills in an apartment.

Brian Jesus Zazueta, 23, is the son of Adolfo Zazueta-Bueno, a top member of the Sinaloa cartel, and was sentenced Wednesday to 13 years and four months in federal prison on drug trafficking charges. He must also serve five years of probation after his release.

The Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most powerful and notorious drug trafficking organizations in Mexico, is one of the driving forces behind the fentanyl crisis in the United States.

“The defendant (Zazueta) comes from a large and prestigious family of drug traffickers,” Deputy District Attorney Caitlin Baunsgard said in court documents. Zazueta-Bueno, a former Pasco resident, is now a fugitive from justice in Eastern Washington and currently resides in Sinaloa, Mexico, according to prosecutors.

His son, Zazueta, of Sunnyside, is described in court documents as a mid-level manager of a drug trafficking organization out of Mexico that was responsible for distributing drugs in Spokane and throughout Eastern Washington.

As a U.S. citizen, Zezueta could travel freely between the United States and Mexico and was a leader and organizer of his father’s operation, acting as his “eyes and ears,” according to the DEA.

news week has been in contact with Department of Justice for comments via email.

On March 9, 2023, the DEA and the Spokane Police Department found Zazueta at a stash house in Kennewick, Washington, with fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin.

Law enforcement officers discovered $6,000 in cash, receipts documenting money transfers to Sinaloa, Mexico, and ledgers with details of drug transactions.

Zazueta pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine as part of a plea agreement, leading to the dismissal of charges related to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin.

“By targeting drug trafficking organizations, we disrupt the supply of deadly drugs that are causing harm in our neighborhoods,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref. “Mr. Zazueta was responsible for an organization that distributed a large quantity of illegal narcotics.

Thanks to the excellent work of the DEA, the Spokane Police Department and federal prosecutors, Mr. Zazueta will be sent to federal prison and our communities are safer and stronger as a result.”

“Mr. Zazueta sowed the seeds of desperation in Eastern Washington while reaping the profits from his distribution of methamphetamine, fentanyl and heroin,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Seattle Field Division. .

“Thanks to the DEA, Spokane Police and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Zazueta learned that these actions had consequences and the sentencing in this case should give others pause before selling drugs that harm our communities.”

Border security and stopping the flow of illicit narcotics into the country is a top concern for voters in this year’s presidential election.

According to the DEA, fentanyl overdoses have become the leading cause of death among Americans between the ages of 18 and 45. More than 107,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) data.

vice president Kamala Harris has pledged to target “the entire global fentanyl supply chain.” He said China was starting to crack down on chemical precursors to fentanyl, but needed to do more.

Former president donald trump has blamed the rise in fentanyl on the Biden-Harris administration’s border policies.

Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid approved by the FDA to relieve pain and anesthesia. It is approximately 100 times stronger than morphine and 50 times stronger than heroin in terms of analgesic effects.