Twelve people were arrested between Monday and Tuesday in a multi-agency, multi-state drug bust that netted 50,000 fentanyl pills; 34 firearms; 7 kilograms of fentanyl powder; meth; cocaine; a vehicle; and $58,000 cash. An improvised explosive device was also seized during a traffic stop in connection to the case.
A joint drug investigation by the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration resulted in the bust of a network that police said was trafficking fentanyl powder and other drugs primarily into Whatcom County, according to a Wednesday Sheriff’s Office release.
Eleven of the defendants were arrested in Washington state — nine in Whatcom County. A twelfth defendant was arrested in Fresno, California.
The nine Whatcom County defendants were arrested on suspicion of state drug charges and include: Loren Walker, 54, of Bellingham; William Fife, 67, of Bellingham; Brian Corbett, 50, of Bellingham; Steven Binschus, 58, of Bellingham; Christina Hein, 44, of Bellingham; Yvette Bailey, 54, of Ferndale; Mary Bohannan, 58, of Bellingham; Amanda Lawrence, 44, of Blaine; and Gregory Hite, 62, of Bellingham.
Defendants Wayne Lankhaar and Yolanda Reyes face federal charges for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, according to federal court documents, and one defendant was arrested on suspicion of illegal possession of a firearm.
The bust followed the work of an undercover law enforcement officer, who bought more than 40 grams of fentanyl-laced powder from a man who identified himself as “Paco” during an exchange in June, according to federal court documents.
The drug takedown was a collaborative effort between Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Patrol, Bellingham Police Department, Mount Vernon Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, Skagit County Interlocal Drug Enforcement Unit, Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Whatcom County Health Department and the United States Attorneys Office.
“This investigation, the resulting arrests and the seizure of large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine and firearms are demonstrative of the wide-scale availability of these deadly drugs in our community; the level of organization involved in the criminal enterprises that deal in them and the potential for violence,” Whatcom County Sheriff Bill Elfo said in a Wednesday release.
