A man who lived in a “fortified compound” at the homeless camp near Bellingham’s Walmart pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday, March 13 to distributing fentanyl and other drugs there.
Rigoberto Vasquez-Martinez, 32, will be sentenced in June on federal charges of drug possession with intent to deliver, and possession of a firearm for drug-trafficking purposes, according to a U.S. Attorney’s Office news release.
A 16-page plea agreement filed in U.S. District Court in Seattle describes Vasquez-Martinez, also known as “Carlos,” as an “upper-level drug source within a transient encampment … sometimes known as the ‘Walmart encampment.’” He lived in a “fortified compound” within the Walmart camp, the agreement said, with armed guards securing the compound’s main building, where Vasquez-Martinez stayed.
Based on information gathered at the camp, law enforcement was already investigating Vasquez-Martinez as a suspected drug dealer when he was pulled over in Oregon on Aug. 29, 2023.
Vasquez-Martinez consented to a search of his vehicle. Oregon State Police found some 65,000 fentanyl pills, along with cell phones and about $3,000 in cash, the plea agreement said.
On the day of Vasquez-Martinez’s arrest, law enforcement searched a storage unit in Lynnwood belonging to the suspect and discovered 3 kilograms of fentanyl, another 5,000 fentanyl pills, 300 grams of methamphetamine and 1.9 kilograms of heroin, the plea agreement said. Police also found a loaded handgun in the storage unit.
During a search of the defendant’s compound in the Walmart camp on Aug. 31, 2023, police found a semi-automatic rifle, a sawed-off shotgun and $4,460 in cash, court records state.
Detectives also rescued 13 dogs from the compound, according to a Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office statement from September 2023.
Vasquez-Martinez will spend at least 10 years in federal prison, with the possibility of a life sentence. Prosecutors and defense attorneys will recommend a 10-year sentence, the news release said.
Ralph Schwartz is CDN’s local government reporter; reach him at ralphschwartz@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 107.
