Drug busts continue to be made in the state of Washington. Thirty-three people in Seattle's southern suburbs were charged with a drug crime recently.

The arrests were the climax of a three-month operation run in south King County to reduce gang violence and the sale of guns and drugs throughout the area. During the arrests, 28 firearms were seized along with more than $1 million in methamphetamine, prescription narcotics, heroin, and cocaine, totaling close to 14 pounds of drugs. Operations were conducted in the Seattle suburbs of Kent, Renton, and Tukwila, and involved not only state and local authorities but the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and ICE's Homeland Security as well.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney stated that the operation demonstrated that drug and gang-related crimes are not limited to urban areas, while a representative for the ATF added that the area was chosen because it was deemed in particular need of help. There was a litany of charges, including conspiracy, distributing crack cocaine, selling stolen firearms and distributing methamphetamines.

Those arrested during the sweep through Seattle's southern suburbs should be aware of just what their rights are in the situation. The arrest is simply the beginning of the legal fight they face. The state has a system to determine the seriousness of the charges leveled against a defendant based on a number of factors related to the case, including the quantity of drugs in the defendant's possession, weapons possessed, and criminal history. A strong defense for someone arrested in the state is to determine the accuracy of the score against them and to make any adjustments possible to drive that score downward, leading to lesser charges. For this, a vigorous legal defense is needed right from the moment of arrest and continued throughout the trial period.

Source: q13Fox.com, "33 arrested in operation targeting gangs, guns in Seattle's southern suburbs," James Lynch, Oct. 23, 2012