SPOKANE, WA – A Mexican national has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for his role in leading a drug trafficking organization operating in the Oroville area and on the Colville Indian Reservation. 35-year-old Erubey Arciga Medrano of Michoacán, Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice on February 19. The sentence includes five years of supervised release.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington, Medrano was identified in early 2023 by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) as the leader of an organization distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl in the region. Between January and March 2023, federal, state, and tribal law enforcement conducted controlled drug purchases from Medrano and his associates.
On April 19, 2023, multiple agencies, including the BIA, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and North Central Washington Narcotics Task Force, executed federal search warrants at several locations in rural Okanogan County. Authorities seized approximately 161,000 fentanyl-laced pills, 80 pounds of methamphetamine, six pounds of heroin, and more than two pounds of cocaine. Twelve firearms were also recovered.
Acting United States Attorney Richard Barker highlighted the impact of the operation, stating that many of the seized drugs were intended for Native American communities in Eastern Washington and Montana. He credited the cooperation among law enforcement agencies for the successful outcome.
Tom Atkinson, Deputy Associate Director of the BIA Division of Drug Enforcement, emphasized the significance of the case for tribal communities, noting the agency’s commitment to protecting Native lands.
The case was investigated by the BIA, DEA, and the North Central Washington Narcotics Task Force, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office, Colville Tribal Police Department, and Kalispel Tribal Police Department. It was prosecuted by Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker and Assistant United States Attorney Nowles H. Heinrich.
