SPOKANE, Wash. — A Spokane drug trafficker with ties to a Mexican drug trafficking organization has been sentenced to federal prison.
According to the press release, court documents, and information from the sentencing hearing, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) discovered that Juan Pablo Carrillo-Nava, 46, was involved with a drug trafficking organization based in Mexico that operated in eastern Washington.
On Aug. 13, 2020, investigators arranged a controlled meth purchase from the organization. When agents arrived at the designated location, Carrillo-Nava had not yet shown up. After waiting for some time, agents moved to a second location where the organization had previously conducted transactions. There, they spotted a green Honda Accord previously used by Carrillo-Nava.
Agents requested a Spokane Police Department patrol unit to respond. When officers tried to pull Carrillo-Nava over, he sped off, ignoring stop signs and reaching speeds up to 75 miles per hour in a 25-mile-per-hour zone.
Carrillo-Nava eventually crashed his car into another vehicle, causing it to hit a chain-link fence in the front yard of a Spokane home. He fled on foot but was soon apprehended by SPD and DEA agents. A search of his car revealed $28,200 in cash, nearly two pounds of heroin, and more than half a pound of meth.
Carrillo-Nava was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of pure meth. He will also serve five years of supervised release.
