Seattle Man Sentenced 5 Years in International Drug Trafficking Case

Curtis McDaniel, a 56-year-old U.S. citizen from Tukwila, Washington, was sentenced to five years in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release for his role in an international drug trafficking conspiracy involving methamphetamine and cocaine distribution, substances that were the second and third leading causes of overdose deaths in King County in 2024. McDaniel's arrest in June 2024 was part of a large multi-agency investigation that included the DEA, Seattle Police Department, IRS Criminal Investigation, and others, resulting in the execution of 24 search and arrest warrants and the seizure of massive quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, firearms including an AK-47, and cash. The conspiracy linked suppliers in Mexico and Colombia to drug distribution networks in the Pacific Northwest. Key figures in the case include Ramon Duarte Garcia, a Mexican citizen who was sentenced to ten years in prison in May 2025, and Humberto Lopez Rodriguez, who is scheduled for sentencing later in July 2025. This investigation is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force’s efforts to dismantle high-level drug trafficking operations and associated money laundering. Separately, David Toedtemeier of Eugene, Oregon, was sentenced to five years for fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking after being caught with drugs and firearms in his car, highlighting the broader regional impact of drug trafficking and overdose deaths linked to potent narcotics like fentanyl.