Mexican man sentenced to 10 years for trafficking fentanyl, meth into Western WA

TACOMA, Wash. - A 36-year-old Mexican national was sentenced Monday to 10 years in prison, for trafficking fentanyl and meth into Western Washington.

Erick Guerrero-Acosta was sentenced in the U.S. District Court in Tacoma for his role as a "significant supplier" of fentanyl and methamphetamine. According to court records, Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) agents made controlled purchases of drugs from the man, and then tracked him down and arrested him on Nov. 22, 2022.

At the time of his arrest, Guerrero-Acosta had about 30 pounds of fentanyl powder and pills, and around 15 pounds of meth. He was also armed with a handgun and had more than $25,000 in cash in his car’s center console.

"At the very time Mr. Guerrero-Acosta was bringing fentanyl pills to Western Washington, more than one person each day was dying of a fentanyl overdose in King County alone," said Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa Gorman. "Between January 1, 2022, and October 15, 2022, 70% of 710 overdose deaths were attributable to fentanyl. Based on these percentages, pills just like the ones seized from Guerrero-Acosta killed approximately 490 people, leaving only heartache for families and loved ones."

The U.S. Attorney’s Office says Guerrero-Acosta has prior drug trafficking convictions in Arizona in 2007 and 2011. He was deported, then in 2015 was arrested for illegally returning to the U.S.