Leonardo Rojas Cruz, a 54-year-old Federal Way, Washington resident and Mexican national, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Seattle to three years in prison for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that targeted unhoused populations in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District and “The Jungle” under I-5, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Charle Neil Floyd.
Indictment and Sentencing Details
Indicted in May 2025 following a lengthy wiretap investigation, Rojas Cruz operated as a redistributor of cocaine and methamphetamine, purchasing multiple-pound quantities of the controlled substances for resale. At his sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Tana Lin addressed the defendant directly regarding the dangers of his operation. Judge Lin noted that cocaine users are particularly vulnerable to accidental overdoses because cocaine and fentanyl powder look nearly identical, telling Rojas Cruz, “You not only gambled with your own life but with the lives of others as well.” Prosecutors pointed out in court filings that Rojas Cruz trafficked two of the three leading causes of overdose in King County over an extended period. Investigators intercepted communications in October 2024 and again in February 2025 discussing the sale of substantial drug quantities, including a pound of methamphetamine. Following the completion of his prison sentence, Rojas Cruz will likely face deportation.
Broader Federal Drug Ring Investigation
The case against Rojas Cruz stems from a sweeping multi-agency federal investigation targeting narcotics distribution networks in the Pacific Northwest. In March 2025 alone, law enforcement seized 100 pounds of methamphetamine, 111 kilos of cocaine, 19 kilos of fentanyl powder, 250,000 fentanyl pills, and four kilos of heroin, carrying an estimated street value of nearly $3 million. Acting U.S. Attorney Floyd emphasized that the financial metric pales in comparison to the community damage caused by addiction, crime, and deaths. On May 29, 2025, law enforcement executed 16 search warrants across Washington locations including Federal Way, Vancouver, Everett, Pacific, Tukwila, Kent, Issaquah, and Seattle, as well as Woodlake, California, and Beaverton, Oregon. Those raids yielded more than seven kilograms of cocaine, 18 kilograms of methamphetamine, over 57,000 fentanyl pills, 17 firearms, and more than $353,000 in cash.
Law Enforcement Statements and Co-Conspirator Sentences
W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office, stated that Rojas Cruz chose to pursue a path of suffering and addiction despite having a prior federal drug trafficking conviction from 1991 in the Eastern District of Washington, for which he served more than five years in prison. Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division, noted that the fentanyl powder seized from the organization alone could have produced 1.7 million potentially lethal doses. Several co-conspirators tied to the ring have already received federal prison sentences:
- Daniel Ibarra Loera, 32, of Kent, Washington: 96 months
- Giovanni Antonio Garduno Garcia, 47, of Issaquah, Washington: 72 months
- Oscar Omar Serrano Serrano, 32, of Algona, Washington: 30 months
- Jose Garcia Corona, 62, of Seattle: 15 months
- Juan Lopez Roblero, 44, of Tukwila, Washington: 12 months
An additional co-conspirator, 44-year-old Sang Su of Seattle, is scheduled to be sentenced on November 4, 2026.
Homeland Security Task Force Initiative
The prosecution of Rojas Cruz falls under the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative, established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, to protect the American public against transnational criminal organizations, cartels, foreign gangs, and narcotics smuggling rings. The whole-of-government partnership brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to direct interagency resources toward identifying, investigating, and prosecuting criminal networks that fuel violence and instability within the United States.
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