More than 200 pounds of meth and heroin were seized in a single takedown tied to a cartel-linked network.
BURIEN, Wash. — King County investigators say a three-month undercover investigation into a regional drug supplier ended this month with the seizure of hundreds of pounds of narcotics, the largest drug bust the sheriff’s office says it has ever recorded.
“This seizure behind me here is the culmination of about three months of work for our Special Emphasis Team that has been working on this day in and day out,” Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall said.
The takedown is the final chapter of Operation Eastbound and Down, an investigation into a cartel-linked drug network authorities say was distributing narcotics across King, Snohomish and Skagit counties. The case first came to light last month after a major bust at a Kirkland apartment complex tied to the same operation.
“There’s methamphetamine as well as heroin, about $89k in cash,” Cole-Tindall said.
Detectives say the Special Emphasis Team identified a regional supplier operating out of Lynnwood and, with help from its drug-detection dog named Quinn, developed probable cause to serve a search warrant on Dec. 17.
“He’s is a wonderful asset to this team,” the sheriff said about Quinn.
That search yielded 214 pounds of methamphetamine, five pounds of heroin and $89,780 in cash. The suspect, Abraham Ortiz-Ayala, was booked into the Snohomish County Jail and is being held on $1 million bail. He is charged with four counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture or deliver. The sheriff says the December seizure alone has an estimated street value of $2 million.
“This is becoming more of a norm in our communities and the focus on disrupting this is so important,” she said.
Court documents show the drugs were packaged in everyday materials, onion boxes, produce bags and zip-top baggies, a tactic investigators say allowed the operation to blend into ordinary neighborhoods.
Prosecutors describe the suspect as one of the highest-level drug distributors in Washington, supplied directly by a Mexican-based source. In bail filings, they argued he has limited ties to the United States and could face life in prison, making him a flight risk.
“This is saving lives so people aren’t able to use these drugs because they are off the street,” Cole-Tindall said.
Investigators say the nearly $90,000 in seized cash would have been sent back to Mexico to fund future shipments.
“It is kind of like a cycle, and this disrupts that cycle,” the sheriff said.
Since the start of Operation Eastbound and Down, authorities say they have seized nearly 300 pounds of methamphetamine, 22 pounds of fentanyl powder, nearly three pounds of cocaine and more than 12 pounds of heroin. They have made six arrests, seized a vehicle and confiscated more than $229,000 in drug proceeds.
For Cole-Tindall, the case is inseparable from the county’s overdose crisis.
“We have a large number of overdoses still in King County. To date, a little less than 900, 14 last week, that’s too many,” she said.
The sheriff calls the Special Emphasis Team small but mighty. In 2025 alone, the unit has seized more than 584 pounds of narcotics, including more than 71,000 fentanyl pills, with an estimated street value exceeding $7.7 million.
“We’re disrupting the cartel, the Sinaloa Cartel, and they need to be aware that if you come to King County, we do have teams that are specifically working to get this stuff off the street,” Cole-Tindall said.
All evidence has now been turned over to prosecutors, and authorities say more charges and arrests could still follow as the investigation continues.
To ensure diverse coverage and expert insight across a wide range of topics, our publication features contributions from multiple staff writers with varied areas of expertise.
