Washington drug dealer played key role in national fentanyl operation: feds

A Kent, Washington man tied to a sprawling fentanyl trafficking network that flooded communities across the country with hundreds of thousands of pills has been sentenced to six years in federal prison. Treyvon Mitchell, 33, was identified by prosecutors as a key player in a family-led drug conspiracy connected to the 44 Holly Crips street gang.

Treyvon Mitchell, 33, pleaded guilty in March to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Prosecutors said Mitchell was part of the Jackson Family Drug Trafficking Organization, a group accused of distributing more than 800,000 fentanyl pills across several states. He was also allegedly carrying firearms linked to multiple Seattle-area shootings.

At sentencing, US District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead said Mitchell’s conduct was made more serious by his possession of firearms. “You were part of a conspiracy to distribute drugs across state lines, and you were armed while doing it…fentanyl is already deadly on its own. People died here. Three people died in one day on the Lummi reservation from fentanyl that this conspiracy was pumping into that community…that was the business you were in. And the guns made it worse.”

Federal investigators said Mitchell was a close associate of alleged drug trafficking leader Marquise Jackson. Authorities 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 during the broader investigation.

“This wiretap investigation revealed Mr. Mitchell and alleged drug trafficking leader Marquise Jackson discussing their drug distribution conspiracy as well as sex trafficking activity,” said First Assistant US Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. “Equally disturbing, a gun seized in a search of Mitchell’s home has been tied to three different Seattle shootings. This sentence is needed to protect the public.”

Law enforcement searched the home Mitchell shared with his mother in October 2024 and recovered four firearms, cocaine, fentanyl pills, marijuana and other drugs. Prosecutors said one firearm was connected through shell casings to three shootings in the Seattle area, including incidents in Seattle, Burien and Renton.

Authorities also alleged that Mitchell and Jackson are known members of the 44 Holly Crips. Mitchell has denied gang membership, though prosecutors pointed to text messages and seized jewelry as evidence of ties to the gang. In court filings, prosecutors argued Mitchell was not a minor participant in the conspiracy. “Mitchell also participated in the planning and organizing of the criminal activity and exercised decision-making authority over his drugs. Intercepted texts from Mitchell’s phone show him plotting with other co-conspirators to obtain a supplier of fentanyl pills, agreeing to profit sharing, and determining the price he would sell the pill drugs for.”

FBI and DEA officials said the case reflects the link between fentanyl trafficking and gun violence. “Mr. Mitchell was a trusted associate of the leadership of this drug trafficking organization, helping to distribute huge amounts of fentanyl across the United States,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Let this sentence send a message that the FBI and our partners are committed to removing highly dangerous and addictive drugs from our communities and combatting the violent crime that so often accompanies it.”

“Fentanyl trafficking and gun violence go hand in hand, and this case demonstrates the devastating impact these criminal organizations have on our communities,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “This defendant helped fuel a conspiracy responsible for distributing hundreds of thousands of deadly fentanyl pills and possessing a firearm tied to multiple shootings. DEA’s Fentanyl Free America focuses on disrupting these violent trafficking networks, reducing the availability of fentanyl, and saving American lives. Through strong partnerships with federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement, we are making our communities safer.”