More than a dozen arrested in south Snohomish County operation targeting Highway 99

EVERETT, Wash. — The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office arrested more than a dozen people during a joint operation with other agencies on Highway 99 in south Snohomish County Wednesday night.

The sheriff’s office spent several months meeting with business owners and members of the community to find a balanced approach to deal with issues in the area, according to a sheriff’s office news release.

Law enforcement agencies then worked together to arrest people with outstanding warrants, identify criminal activity and provide more officers near Highway 99 and Airport Road.

During the joint operation, more than $1,600 believed to be connected to drug sales were seized, one stolen vehicle and two stolen guns were recovered, more than 20 traffic stops were made and 28 vehicles that were previously tagged to be removed were impounded.

Arrests were made for outstanding warrants, theft, possession of a stolen vehicle and distribution of drugs.

Street drugs that were seized included 215 grams of methamphetamine, 30 grams of heroin, 133 fentanyl pills and 10 grams of MDMA.

Deputies found a stolen vehicle on 128th Street Southwest that had two adults and a missing 16-year-old inside. Deputies also recovered two stolen guns from the vehicle.

During the operation, seven people were referred to a team of deputies and social workers who helped connect homeless and vulnerable people to treatment and other services.

Earlier this year, the sheriff’s office began using emphasis patrols to target crime and offer outreach services in south Snohomish County. In late summer, the patrols were reduced due to staffing shortages.

Early this year, the sheriff’s office and Snohomish County Public Works cleaned up truckloads of trash near Center Road and in the Avondale area. The sheriff’s office also put together a volunteer crew to clean up graffiti in several blocks of neighborhoods surrounding Highway 99.

In the first six months of the patrol operation in 2021, the emphasis area saw a 30% decrease in the targeted crimes, the sheriff’s office said.

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