Yakima man arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 11 months, 2 weeks AGO
Law enforcement officers seized money, drugs and weapons during the investigation of a Yakima man suspected of drug trafficking
GCSO PHOTO
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | April 23, 2025 2:10 AM
GRANT COUNTY — A Yakima man was arrested on possession of fentanyl and methamphetamines with intent to deliver during a traffic stop April 18.
Santos Tellez Mojica, 44, was arrested in Grant County during a traffic stop along Interstate 90, said Kyle Foreman, public information officer for the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. The arrest followed a three-month investigation by INET and partnering agencies, Foreman said.
“He was suspected of moving illegal drugs into and through Grant County,” according to a GCSO press release.
“He was definitely someone that got the attention of not only INET, but the LEAD Task Force out of Yakima County,” Foreman said.
Foreman said the case is still under investigation, and that investigation includes tracing possible connections to trafficking organizations.
“It’s like any other sales network,” Foreman said. “You have someone who has a product that is in demand, and the product has to be manufactured someplace, and then there have to be wholesalers and retailers.”
Grant County is both a market and part of the distribution network, Foreman said.
Law enforcement officers were granted a search warrant for Tellez’s house based on evidence seen in the car, the GCSO release said. Investigators confiscated about 2,000 fentanyl pills, two pounds of methamphetamines, three ounces of cocaine, $5,000 cash, two rifles, two shotguns and three handguns.
The Yakima LEAD Task Force, Northwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Program, Homeland Security Investigations and the Washington National Guard counterdrug program worked with INET on the investigation, the release said.
ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Road closures, roundabout, mean construction season underway
EPHRATA — The grass is starting to turn green, the trees are starting to leaf out, construction crews are starting to build roundabouts – hey, it’s spring. At least one roundabout project is in its final phase, held over from fall 2025. The intersection of State Route 282 and Nat Washington Way will be closed the week of April 6 to allow crews to install permanent lights. “This really is the final (closure),” wrote Grant County Administrator Tom Gaines in a media release. “The roundabout will close at 6 a.m. Monday, and we plan to reopen by Friday, possibly sooner if the work finishes early.”
Ybarra announces run for Washington Senate
QUINCY — State Representative Alex Ybarra, R-Quincy, has announced his candidacy for the Washington Senate. If he’s elected, he would replace Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, who announced her retirement in March.
Othello Community Museum to open April 25
OTHELLO — With a couple of new exhibits, a new heating-cooling system, rearranged displays and a thorough cleaning, the Othello Community Museum will open for the summer April 25. The goal, said Molly Popchock, museum board secretary, is to operate for a full season.