WA State Drug Ringleader Gets 15-Year Prison Sentence in Huge Bust

The US Attorney's Office for the District of Eastern WA announced a lengthy prison term for a Mexican national who was the leader of  a large drug ring.

   The ring operated near Oroville, close to the Canadian border

35-year-old  Erubey Arciga Medrano of Michoacan, Mexico , and a Mexican national, was sentenced this week for his role as the leader of the ring.

In January of 2023,  Bureau of Indian Affairs authorities identified Medrano as the leader of a drug trafficking organization that was flooding the area around Oroville, WA and the Colville Indian Reservation with narcotics.  Oroville is located north of Tonasket, and just south of the Canadian border in Okanogan County.

According to the US Attorney's Office:

"Between January 2023 and March 2023, BIA, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Washington State law enforcement and Colville Tribal law enforcement conducted a series of controlled drug buys from Medrano and others selling drugs on his behalf."

Then on April 19, 2023, agents from numerous agencies including the DEA served warrants in raids at several rural homes in the county near Oroville. Huge quantities of drugs were seized, including 161,000 Fentanyl pills, including what are known as Mexi-blues and rainbows; 80 lbs. of meth, six pounds of heroin, and 2 pounds of cocaine.

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Officials also located and seized 12 firearms. Medrano  faces five years of supervised probation upon his release.