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Crime & Courts

Federal Way man sentenced to 10 years in Seattle drug distribution case

Octavio Salazar Palma received ten years in prison followed by four years of supervised release in a case investigated by the DEA.

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 12, 2026, 2:19 p.m. ET

More on this incident

Octavio Salazar Palma, of Federal Way, has been to ten years in prison followed by four years of supervised release, according to reporting by the Renton Reporter, Courier-Herald, Auburn Reporter and Redmond Reporter. The case, announced on Aug. 3, 2026, involved charges of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to engage in money laundering. Accounts of the government's allegations differ in scope among the outlets that reported them. The Renton Reporter and Redmond Reporter reported the government's position that Salazar Palma was a leader in a drug conspiracy and "the source of an extraordinary amount of drugs in the community," running an organization that targeted people living in Seattle encampments known as "The Jungle." The Courier-Herald described a wide-ranging distribution network operating in Seattle's International District and nearby homeless encampments, and the Auburn Reporter reported the government's allegation that the organization supplied large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl and heroin. The outlets also differ on what law enforcement seized. The Courier-Herald reported seizures of methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl powder and pills, heroin, 17 firearms and more than $353,000 in cash. The Redmond Reporter listed the same categories of drugs along with firearms and cash without specifying amounts. The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, according to all four outlets.

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Revision history

  1. Version 213 Aug 2026, 00:20current

    Added seven further outlets' accounts, including the guilty plea reported by the Bothell Reporter and Federal Way Mirror and the wiretap investigation reported by the Kent Reporter.

  2. Version 112 Aug 2026, 18:13current

    First published.

  3. Version 112 Aug 2026, 16:52current

    First published.

  4. Version 112 Aug 2026, 18:19current

    First published.

  5. Version 112 Aug 2026, 17:22

    First published.

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