Law enforcement arrested and charged 17 individuals on Oct. 2 in a multi-state drug ring reportedly led by Renton residents.
Marquis Jackson, 31, allegedly served as the leader of the drug ring — spanning Washington, Georgia, Montana, Missouri, Texas, and Arizona — splitting his time between Atlanta, Georgia and the Renton home of his parents, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Additional household members of the Renton home also face charges, including Marquis’s father and mother, Mandel Jackson, 50, and Matelita Jackson, 49, and household members including Markell Jackson, 21, and Miracle Patu-Jackson, 22.
The two-year investigation — involving the FBI, Drug Enforcement Agency, Seattle Police Department, King County Sheriff’s Office, and more — linked the trafficking ring to a fatal fentanyl overdose on the Lummi Nation reservation in Whatcom County.
According to the justice department, four tribal citizens died of fentanyl overdoses within a period of four days in September of 2023, resulting in the Lummi Indian Business Council declaring a state of emergency in regards to the fentanyl crisis.
Tribal and federal law enforcement officials examined the cellphone of one of the overdose deaths and discovered connections to the Jackson drug trafficking organization, with federal and state law enforcement agencies and the Bureau of Indian Affairs collaborating with Lummi Nation Police to identify additional members of the trafficking organization.
Law enforcement have seized more than 846,000 fentanyl pills, “nearly” 7 kilograms of fentanyl powder, 7 kilograms of cocaine, 29 firearms, and more than $116,000 in cash, throughout the investigation, according to the justice department.
The FBI confirmed the execution of searches and arrests on Oct. 2 in the 2300 block of Southeast 3rd Street in Renton in connection with the Jackson drug trafficking conspiracy, according to Steve Bernd, a spokesperson for the FBI.
Indictment documents filed against 14 individuals charges the individuals with various counts including conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and money laundering in the King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Whatcom counties of Washington and “elsewhere.”
Additional defendants in the indictment include Edgar Valdez, 26, of Phoenix, Arizona; Keondre Jackson, 29, of Wichita, Kansas; Michael Young Jr., 43, of Tacoma; Sir-Terrique Devon Milam, 20, of Federal Way; Tyrell Lewis, 32, of Federal Way; Robert Johnson, 20, of Renton; Diyana Abraha, 22, of Seattle; Adean Batinga, 20, of Burien; Tianna Karastan, 21, of Seattle; and “others known and unknown.”
Law enforcement additionally arrested three individuals not included on the indictment on criminal complaints and in connection with the serving of the Oct. 2 search warrants.
The charges
Count 1 of five charges 13 of the indicted defendants, excluding Matelita Jackson, with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances including fentanyl, methamphetamines, and more. A second count charges Marquis, Matelita, Markell, and Diyana with conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Markell additionally faces two counts in the indictment for distribution of a controlled substance; with a fifth count charging Markell, Adean, and Robert with a final count of distribution of a controlled substance.
According to the justice department, law enforcement continue to search for Markell. Matelita, Miracle, and Adean serve as out of custody, released on bond.
In Whatcom County, teams led by the Drug Enforcement Administration arrested four individuals in September-October 2024 from Ferndale and Bellingham on criminal complaints for fentanyl distribution. All four individuals face a charge of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. The criminal complaints alleged a link between the four individuals via phone communication and surveillance to the Jackson drug trafficking organization.
“The significance of this case is that a family drug trafficking organization expanded from Seattle beyond Washington state to locations across the country,” stated Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office, in the news release. “This group distributed more than 800,000 fentanyl pills throughout the United States, including in Arizona, Texas, Missouri, Montana, and Georgia.”
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