Mexican Man Sentenced For Distributing Over 8 Pounds Of Meth
Sunday, February 16, 2025, 1:00 P.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
YAKIMA, WA.- On Monday, a 51-year-old Mexican national who was previously deported after serving over four years in Washington State prison on a narcotics conviction, learned he would be spending over the next 10 years in federal prison after being sentenced for selling over eight pounds of crystal methamphetamine to a confidential informant.
On Monday, February 10, 2025, Santiago Rojas-Rangel, also known as “Charapo,” 51, of Mexico, appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington and was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mary K. Dimke to 151 months in federal prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release for his conviction of multiple counts of Distribution of Methamphetamine.
In handing down the sentence on Monday, Judge Dimke noted Rojas-Rangel’s “complete and utter lack of respect for the law in this country.” Upon completion of his federal prison term, Rojas-Rangel will face immediate deportation proceedings and be removed from the United States.
According To The U.S. Attorney’s Office
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Richard R. Barker and charging documents filed with the District Court, in early 2024, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration developed credible information that Rojas-Rangel was selling and distributing large quantities of methamphetamine throughout the Yakima, Washington area and surrounding communities.
   Between February 2024 and May 2024, federal agents conducted several controlled buys of methamphetamine from Rojas-Rangel, totaling over eight pounds. The purchases of the methamphetamine were under the observation and were recorded by federal agents.
Rojas-Rangel Previously Convicted And Deported
   Rojas-Rangel had been previously convicted in Yakima County Superior Court on two counts of delivery of controlled substances, methamphetamine, in 2019. Following his conviction, he was sentenced to 44 months and one day in Washington State Prison. Rojas-Rangel was removed from the United States after completing his state term of imprisonment. He then illegally reentered the U.S. before resuming his drug trafficking activities in the Eastern District of Washington.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to prioritize the prosecutions of dangerous repeat drug offenders,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard R. Barker. “Mr. Rojas-Rangel entered the United States illegally and then distributed large quantities of methamphetamine into the Yakima community. I am grateful for the dedication of our federal, state, and local partners and for the incredible team of prosecutors who dedicate their careers to keeping our communities safe.”
