Criminal Alien of the Week Report April, 11 2024
Lars Larson Show: Criminal Alien of the Week Report
April 11, 2024
The “Lars Larson Show: Criminal Alien of the Week Report” in the second week of April 2024 has for your radio listeners and webpage followers a report on a Mexican national federally charged with drug trafficking awaiting sentencing in a U.S. District Court in the state of Washington..
Some background information, on Wednesday, March 13, 2024the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington (USAOWDW), issued a news release titled “Drug trafficker who created fortified compound at Bellingham homeless encampment pleads guilty” who the main subject of interest was Rigoberto Vasquez-Martinez (U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington Case Number: 2:24-CR-00043).
Here is an extended excerpt from USAOWDW’s March 13, 2024 news release on Rigoberto Vasquez-Martinez:
“Arrested retuning from drug run with more than 65,000 fentanyl pills – searches turn up guns and more drugs
Seattle – A 32-year-old citizen of Mexico pleaded guilty today to drug trafficking and firearms charges related to his distribution of narcotics at a Bellingham homeless encampment, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Rigoberto Vasquez-Martinez has been in federal custody since he was arrested on August 29, 2023, following a traffic stop near Brownsville, Oregon. Vasquez-Martinez will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Evanson on June 11, 2024.
According to the plea agreement, Vasquez-Martinez lived in a fortified encampment within an area known as the “Walmart encampment” in Bellingham. Vasquez-Martinez admits having armed guards acting as security around the main structure where he stayed. The encampment is called the Walmart encampment because it stretches a half-mile east of Walmart.
Law enforcement has responded to a wide range of incidents at the encampment and received information that Vasquez-Martinez was a significant drug supplier to the area. While Vasquez-Martinez was under investigation, he was stopped in Oregon apparently returning from California where he had picked up a supply of drugs. When Vasquez-Martinez’ car was searched, law enforcement found more than seven kilos of fentanyl pills – more than 65,000 pills in all. Vasquez-Martinez admits he was on his way back to Western Washington to distribute the fentanyl. They also seized $3,000 in cash and multiple cell phones. On that same day, law enforcement searched a storage locker in Lynnwood registered to Vasquez-Martinez’ wife. In it they found three kilos of fentanyl powder, 300 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 1.9 kilograms of heroin, and a 9mm handgun and $46,000 in cash. Vasquez-Martinez admits that 9mm handgun was used in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities.
Finally, on August 31, 2023, law enforcement searched the compound where Vasquez-Martinez had been living. They seized more than $4,000 in cash and an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle. They also seized a sawed-off shotgun.
Due to the drug amounts and the possession of the firearms, Vasquez-Martinez faces a mandatory minimum ten years in prison. Both possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and attempted possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute are punishable by a mandatory minimum five years in prison and up to 40 years in prison. Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is punishable by a mandatory minimum five years in prison to run consecutive to any other sentence imposed.” – U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.”
Seeking detailed information on the historical immigration status of Rigoberto Vasquez-Martinez on Friday, March 15, 2024 the “Criminal Alien of the Week Report” contacted via e-mail U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Public Affairs for the Northwest Region which encompasses the states of Washington, Oregon and Alaska.
As of Wednesday, April 10, 2024 ICE Public Affairs for the Northwest Region has not responded specifically to the “Criminal Alien of the Week Report” request for investigation and statement on Rigoberto Vasquez-Martinez.
Currently, on April 11, 2024 Rigoberto Vasquez-Martinez (BOP Register Number: 44898-086) is incarcerated by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) at SeaTac FDC located in Seattle, Washington.
Rigoberto Vasquez-Martinez after being sentenced in the near future in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington will very likely join of more than 12-thousand Mexican nationals incarcerated in the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) prison system.
Lars, the second week of April 2024 and another “Criminal Alien of the Week Report” for Lars Larson Show KXL FM 101.1 Pacific Northwest radio listeners and website followers.
David Olen Cross (docfnc) is a reporter on foreign national crime. He is a more than decade long contributor to the “Lars Larson Show: Criminal Alien of the Week Report.” His past crime reporting can be found at http://docfnc.wordpress.com/.
https://docfnc.wordpress.com/