SPOKANE, Wash. — The son of a Sinaloa Cartel member has been sentenced to over 13 years in federal prison for trafficking drugs across Eastern Washington Wednesday.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Washington, 23-year-old Brian Jesus Zasueta of Sunnyside, Washington was sentenced to 160 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
Court documents and information from the sentencing hearing said Zazueta was a mid-level manager for a Mexico-based drug trafficking operation. Zazueta was responsible for selling drugs in Spokane and across Eastern Washington.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Zazueta is the son of Adolfo Zazueta-Bueno, a significant part of the Sinaloa Cartel.
Zazueta-Bueno used to live in the Tri-Cities but now lives in Sinaloa, Mexico where he runs his drug trafficking operation.
Officials said since Zazueta is a U.S. citizen, he could travel freely between the United States and Mexico and relay messages to his father.
On March 9, 2023, the DEA and Spokane Police searched a stash house in Kennewick. Zazueta was in the apartment at the time along with over 42,000 fentanyl pills, methamphetamine and heroin. Police also found $6,000 cash, receipts showing money was transferred to Sinaloa, drug scales and information about drug transactions.
“By targeting drug trafficking organizations, we disrupt the supply of deadly drugs that are causing harm in our neighborhoods,” stated U.S. Attorney Vanessa Waldref. “Mr. Zazueta was responsible for an organization distributing a large amount of illegal narcotics. Thanks to the excellent work by DEA, the Spokane Police Department, and federal prosecutors, Mr. Zazueta is headed to federal prison, and as a result, our communities are safer and stronger.”
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