Four people were arrested on 24 probable cause charges related to an investigation into alleged drug trafficking in Whatcom County on Wednesday, Nov. 7, according to the sheriff’s office.
Two search warrants were executed in the 2200 block of Valencia Street in Bellingham and the 2300 block of Main Street in Ferndale, said Deb Slater, the public information officer at the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office. As a result, investigators found drugs such as cocaine and fentanyl-laced powder, items related to drug distribution and firearms at both locations.
One man, a 41-year-old from Oak Harbor, was arrested on probable cause related to possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, Slater said. Investigators suspected he had supplied cocaine to a 32-year-old Sedro Woolley man who was also arrested Wednesday.
The Sedro Woolley suspect had been seen allegedly appearing to make drug transactions in Bellingham and had fled from a traffic stop on Oct. 21 and again on Oct. 24, Slater said. The suspect was located in a Ferndale building Wednesday, along with a 19-year-old woman from Burlington.
The two failed to come out of the building when law enforcement ordered them to, Slater said. They were observed crawling into the attic of the building where they remained for 30 minutes. The man and woman then exited the attic and were moving between a bedroom and a bathroom, leading investigators to believe they were allegedly concealing or destroying evidence.
Law enforcement officers were able to enter the building and arrest the two based on probable cause for a number of charges including possession of a controlled substance, possession of a stolen firearm and obstructing law enforcement, Slater said. During searches at the Whatcom County Jail, staff found suspected fentanyl-laced powder in the woman’s bra as well as suspected fentanyl powder on the man.
A third man, a 48-year-old from Bellingham, was arrested Wednesday at a building on Valencia Street, Slater said. Investigators found cocaine and other items related to manufacturing and repacking of cocaine.
All four will appear in Whatcom County Superior Court in coming days. They currently are in custody at the Whatcom County Jail.
Annie Todd is CDN’s criminal justice/enterprise reporter; reach her at annietodd@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 130.
