Wenatchee Man Gets 25 Years for Huge Sureno Gang-Affiliated Drug Ring

The US Attorney's Office for the District of Eastern WA announced Wednesday the sentencing of a 41-year-old Wenatchee man for his role in overseeing a huge  drug ring.

   Man gets long 25-year prison term

Edward James Salvador pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute 500 Grams or More of Methamphetamine and 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl. To say "or more" is the least.

Salvador, known on the streets as "Snoopy," came under the eye of law enforcement after it was learned he was leading a huge CA-based drug ring. According to the US Attoroney's Office:

" Investigators learned Salvador was a Sureno gang member out of California who had relocated to the area after being released from California Department of Corrections custody. 

The investigation revealed Salvador’s operation was distributing a very large amount of fentanyl-laced pills obtained from Bakersfield, California, into the Chelan and Douglas county areas with the help of multiple other individuals, most of whom were also Sureno gang members."

 The Sureno gang is from the Bakersfield, CA area, and considered one of the most dangerous.

In March of 2022, authorities learned he was working with some individuals in the Moses Lake area to set up a meth cooking operation as well as smuggling Fentanyl and meth to the area. He was believed to have smuggled at least 20,000 pills and he had come into possession of 15 lbs. of ephedrine, which is used to make meth.

His network was called "staggering" by officials. According to the US Attorney's office, the following agencies assisted with the operation:

"Homeland Security Investigations, the Columbia River Drug Task Force consisting of, the Chelan County Sheriff, Douglas County Sheriff, East Wenatchee Police Department, and the Wenatchee Police Department. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Moses Lake Police Department, and the Grant County Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team."