Operation 11th Hour nets 42 defendants after 15-month investigation
NANCE BESTON | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 days, 8 hours AGO
Operation 11th Hour resulted in 42 defendants, 54 federal search warrants and 37 state search warrants, as well as the seizure of 25 firearms, nine vehicles, approximately 42 pounds of methamphetamine, more than 1,000 fentanyl pills, nearly 2 pounds of fentanyl powder and more than 2 pounds of cocaine, according to information from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
COURTESY PHOTO/BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, FIREARMS AND EXPLOSIVES
MOSES LAKE — A 15-month investigation launched after a deadly 2025 gang-related shooting has resulted in 42 defendants, dozens of search warrants, significant drug seizures and the removal of firearms from the streets of Moses Lake and Grant County.
Federal, state and local law enforcement officials announced Thursday that the final six arrests connected to Operation 11th Hour were made Wednesday in Moses Lake and Spokane, bringing the investigation to a close.
“This case is an excellent example of the impact that can be made when federal and local law enforcement work together to target issues in our communities,” Moses Lake Police Chief Dave Sands said in a statement. “I am grateful for all the work done at every level of this operation to take illegal weapons and drugs off our streets.”
The operation began after a March 21, 2025, shooting in the 500 block of Loop Drive that left a 14-year-old boy dead and four others wounded. Moses Lake police later identified the attack as gang related.
“That was kind of the impetus to conduct significant emphasis on violent criminals in the Moses Lake and Grant County area,” MLPD Capt. Mike Williams said.
According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Operation 11th Hour focused on violent offenders, gang members, firearm traffickers and armed drug traffickers.
The investigation led to 54 federal search warrants, 37 state search warrants and 42 defendants.
An ATF statement said Wednesday's arrests of Floyd Young, Eutimio De Padua Contreras, Wilmer Garcia-Marquez, Juan Preciado, Juvenal Herrera-Mata and Cristobal Rios Sostenes marked the final phase of the operation. The suspects face charges including unlawful firearm possession, methamphetamine distribution and cocaine distribution.
Authorities seized 25 firearms, nine vehicles, approximately 42 pounds of methamphetamine, more than 1,000 fentanyl pills, nearly 2 pounds of fentanyl powder and more than 2 pounds of cocaine.
"It's a good amount," Williams said of the drug seizures. "It's definitely put a crimp in the supply in Moses Lake for sure."
ATF Public Information Officer Anna Schmidt said the methamphetamine and fentanyl seizures got a lot of narcotics off the street.
"When you think about how many deaths that fentanyl could have caused in the wrong hands, those are significant seizures," Schmidt said.
Of the 42 defendants identified during the operation, 24 have been federally indicted and six are facing state charges, according to the ATF.
Operation 11th Hour brought together agencies including ATF, the Moses Lake Police Department Street Crimes Unit, DEA, U.S. Border Patrol, FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, Washington State Patrol, the U.S. Marshals Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force and the Grant County Sheriff's Office INET team.
“Keeping our communities safe requires more than individual agencies working in isolation,” ATF Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais said in a statement. “This operation is a clear demonstration of the strength of our partnerships and our collective resolve.”
Williams credited those partnerships for the operation's success.
"We have an outstanding relationship with the federal agencies," he said. "They get good results, and the partnership has been mutually beneficial for us."
While authorities say it will take time to measure the operation's long-term effect on crime, Williams pointed to the results already achieved.
"I think the biggest success out of this was just the numbers in that press release," he said. "The number of criminals that were put in jail, the number of illegal guns that were taken off the street and the amount of drugs that did not get distributed in our community."
Williams also had a message for those involved in violent crime and drug trafficking:
"We're coming," he said, "and we're bringing a lot of friends with us."
ARTICLES BY NANCE BESTON
Operation 11th Hour nets 42 defendants after 15-month investigation
MOSES LAKE — A 15-month investigation launched after a deadly 2025 gang-related shooting has resulted in 42 defendants, dozens of search warrants, significant drug seizures and the removal of firearms from the streets of Moses Lake and Grant County. Federal, state and local law enforcement officials announced Thursday that the final six arrests connected to Operation 11th Hour were made Wednesday in Moses Lake and Spokane, bringing the investigation to a close. “This case is an excellent example of the impact that can be made when federal and local law enforcement work together to target issues in our communities,” Moses Lake Police Chief Dave Sands said in a statement. “I am grateful for all the work done at every level of this operation to take illegal weapons and drugs off our streets.”
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