California Man Sentenced to More than 11 Years in Prison on Drug Trafficking Charges Publisher: U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Washington Byline: Robert Curry Dateline: Richland, Washington Date: 21 February 2024 Subjects: American Government , Crime

Richland, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Ruben Galvan-Trujillo, was sentenced on February 7, 2024, after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke imposed a sentence of 136 months imprisonment to be followed by 5 years of supervised release.

According to court documents and information disclosed at sentencing, the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) developed information that Galvan-Trujillo was a member of a substantial drug trafficking organization with ties to Chicago, Atlanta, Boston, New York, Michigan, and Washington.  Galvan Trujillo would coordinate large drug shipments and cultivate new drug shipment lines for the DTO.  Galvan-Trujillo had a base of operations in Los Angeles and lived in in Rancho Cucamonga, California.

The DEA used a confidential informant to contact Galvan-Trujillo and arrange a drug sale. In February of 2022, Galvan-Trujillo offered to sell 20 pounds of methamphetamine to the informant and arrange for delivery to Pasco, Washington. Per Galvan Trujillo, this was meant to be a test run to establish a drug distribution line to this District wherein his Drug Trafficking Organization would begin to send regular drug shipments in excess of 50 pounds of methamphetamine, cocaine and other product. 

A few days later, Galvan-Trujillo called the informant and said the couriers were on the way and told the informant to pay the couriers $10,000 for the drugs and $80,000 for the product. Later than evening, the couriers delivered the drugs to the informant at a storage facility in Pasco, Washington. The drugs were hidden in a sophisticated trap car, wrapped in 20 individual packages, each containing approximately one-pound quantities of crystal methamphetamine.

“Mr. Galvan-Trujillo was a large-scale drug trafficker who was responsible for pushing massive quantities of illegal narcotics not just into Eastern Washington – but across all the United States,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “My office will continue to prioritize protecting our communities by aggressively prosecuting drug traffickers who attempt to profit off this poison.”

“Mr. Galvan-Trujillo led a wholesale methamphetamine distribution ring that sought to harm both our community in Eastern Washington as well as cities around the country,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “I am proud that the Drug Enforcement Administration and our partners could stop the flow of dangerous drugs through this defendant and the sentence in this case reflects the serious threat that Mr. Galvan-Trujillo posed to all of us.”

This case was investigated DEA Tri-Cities which includes DEA, USCBP, and Kennewick PD. The Metro Drug Task Force assisted. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Van Marter.

Robert Curry

Public Affairs Specialist 

USAWAE.Media@usdoj.gov

Updated February 21, 2024