WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. — The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office issued a press release today announcing the arrest of 5 persons following an investigation which led to the serving of 2 search warrants in Whatcom County.
Following a focused investigation, on Wednesday, March 20, members from the Whatcom Gang and Drug Task Force, Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Washington State Patrol (WSP) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air served search warrants on two locations and two vehicles in Whatcom County, resulting in five arrests and the seizure of approximately 3.24 pounds of suspected powdered fentanyl and over $6000 in cash. The two locations were in the 6000 block of Neevel Road, east of Ferndale, and the 5300 block of Guide Meridian in Bellingham.
These search warrants and subsequent arrests and seizures were the culmination of an investigation led by the Whatcom Gang and Drug Task Force. This investigation was spurred by reports of increasing opioid overdoses and open-air drug use occurring in the city of Bellingham. According to a query of “Overdose” coded emergency services requests to the What-COMM Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, there were 24 overdose-related calls generated between January 1, 2023, and March 10, 2023 in the downtown Bellingham business district. That same search for January 1, 2024 – March 10, 2024 showed 63 overdose-related calls.
In response to reports of this increase in drug activity, the Whatcom Gang and Drug Task Force and the DEA Bellingham Resident Office began surveillance in that area and discovered connections between a known Mexican Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) and local drug re-distributors suspected of selling large quantities of fentanyl in the City of Bellingham and Whatcom County.
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Click for more informationIn addition to the suspected fentanyl and cash seized, investigators found a sawed-off (illegally modified) shotgun, multiple cell phones, suspected drug ledger notes, multiple empty baggies, a scale with residue, and shotgun shells.
While investigators were at the Neevel Road location conducting the search warrant, they witnessed a vehicle drive by that location. The vehicle had originated from another address linked to the DTO. Carlos Monreal Ceballos, a person of interest, was identified as a passenger. A plastic container was found under the seat in this vehicle containing white powder, suspected to be fentanyl. Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (March 22, 2024)
According to Whatcom Jail records, the following were booked and charged with the listed crimes on March 20th.
- Jesus Eladio Garcia Covarrubias, age 24
- drug possession with intent to deliver (fentanyl)
- unlawful firearms – short barrel shotgun
- alien in possession of a firearm
- Carlos Antonio Ramos Navarrette, age 23
- drug possession with intent to deliver (fentanyl)
- unlawful firearms – short barrel shotgun
- alien in possession of a firearm
- Carlos Monrreal Ceballos, age 29
- drug possession with intent to deliver (fentanyl)
- unlawful firearms – short barrel shotgun
- alien in possession of a firearm
- Victor Ambrococio Alcala Arellanes, age 35
- drug possession with intent to deliver (fentanyl)
Theron Chin, age 48 and of Bellingham, already in custody awaiting trial on several drug possession and other charges, was charged with 2 additional counts of drug possession with intent to deliver (fentanyl).
As of this story, Ceballos and Arellanes had made preliminary appearances in Whatcom County Superior Court and had bail set at $250,000 bond or $25,000 cash each.
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