Five indicted for alleged drug trafficking in the Chinatown-ID
Five men were indicted by a grand jury for alleged drug trafficking in Seattle homeless encampments and in the Chinatown International District (CID), U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington Tessa Gorman announced on January 15. The men made their first appearances in court last month.
According to Gorman’s office, the investigation was led by the FBI, Seattle Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with the help of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the King County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tukwila Police Department.
The men named in the indictment are: Tommy Pham, 37, of Newcastle, Washington; Donfeuy Saephan, 54, of Seattle; Khampheth Keodara, 42, of Seattle; Sang Tran, 54, of Kent, Washington; and Theodore Nation, 35, of Seattle. They are charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and other charges.
The investigation began in November 2023, with SPD, the FBI and the DEA focusing on a drug trafficking organization that dealt fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin in homeless encampments in Seattle and around 12th and Jackson in the CID. Investigators gathered evidence using a court-authorized wiretap. “Law enforcement heard intimations of violence on the calls and worked to intervene without tipping off the targets of the investigation,” according to Gorman’s office.
During the arrests, law enforcement said they seized 17 firearms and 23 kilos of suspected fentanyl powder.
“This drug trafficking group was preying on people experiencing homelessness in our Chinatown-International District,” said Mayor Bruce Harrell said during a press conference on January 15 at Hing Hay Park. “The poison in the streets should not be here.”
“This territory is prime real estate for drug traffickers,” said U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington Gorman. “We have a small amount of people doing a lot of damage, and this organization is an example.
In December, SPD arrested three people in the area on suspicion of narcotics charges.
Seattle police conduct narcotics arrests
Seattle police arrested three people in two separate narcotics operations in the CID on January 6 and 11. Bike police arrested two men after observing drug transactions near 12th and King Street, according to SPD’s blog. Police say one of the men was found with a loaded 9mm handgun and fentanyl. Police identified him as a convicted felon and booked him into King County Jail on charges of narcotics possession and unlawful possession of a firearm. The other man was found with 18 grams of methamphetamine, police said, and was booked into jail on narcotics charges.
On January 11, police arrested a woman during a narcotics surveillance operation in which they saw her conduct drug transactions near 1200 South King Street, according to SPD’s blog. Police found her with 8.5 grams of fentanyl powder, including 65 individual bundles. She was booked into King County Jail on narcotics charges.
Lighting up the neighborhood
The Chinatown International District (CID) shines brighter at night, with new lighting suspended between Tai Tung and Kau Kau restaurants along South King Street and on trees on 6th Avenue S, Maynard Avenue S, and 7th Avenue S.
The year-round lighting can change colors to match festivals such as Lunar New Year or local sports games.
The project was a collaboration between the Mayor’s Office, City departments, the Chinatown-International District Business Improvement Area (CIDBIA), and local property owners.
Ron Chew Healthy Aging and Wellness Center received $1.5 from King County Council
The King County Council approved $1.5 million from its supplemental 2024 budget for the future Ron Chew Healthy Aging and Wellness Center. International Community Health Services (ICHS) plans to open the center at Beacon Pacific Village (1229 Golf Dr. S, Seattle, WA 98144) in fall 2025.
The new center will provide wrap-around care to seniors who rely on Medicare and Medicaid. According to ICHS in a news release: “Services are provided in the native language of participants with an understanding of cultural traditions. Services include medical, dental, and behavioral healthcare, physical and occupational therapies, nutrition services and meals on-site, accessible transportation, and healthy living programs designed to encourage social connection and physical activity.”
ICHS says the new center will quadruple the number of low-income seniors served from 100 to 400.
ICHS says developing the new Ron Chew Healthy Aging and Wellness Center will cost $25 million, and ICHS has so far raised $14 million from private and public funding, including the federal government, State of Washington, King County, the City of Seattle, Inatai Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and others.
Seattle City Council forms committee to protect Seattle from Trump federal funding cuts
The Seattle City Council will form a special committee to plan for potential executive orders and policy changes from the Trump administration that could threaten federal funding to Seattle.
Council President Sara Nelson announced she would stand up the committee, which was proposed by Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck.
The action comes after a series of executive orders and policy changes from the new Trump administration that raised doubts and concerns about the future of funding from the federal government.
“The changes in funding could impact areas including but not limited to housing, public safety, transportation, emergency and disaster aid/response, climate change, public health, human and social services, immigration, nutrition, economic development, small businesses, and education,” Rinck said in a statement.
“We’re all seeing the chaos and uncertainty in Washington, D.C. but we’re focused on stability here,” Nelson said in a statement. “Our constituents deserve to know that we are not only paying attention, but have a viable plan to protect our people, community resources, and basic government services.”
The select committee is expected to meet for the first time in early March.
