Gambiaj.com – (SEATTLE, United States) – A Gambian national identified by US authorities as a major distributor in a large fentanyl trafficking network in Washington State has been sentenced to six years in federal prison, a case that has drawn attention to the involvement of foreign nationals in the United States’ escalating opioid crisis.
Lamin Saho, 40, also known as “Buck,” was sentenced on Monday by a US District Court in Seattle after pleading guilty to federal drug trafficking charges.
According to US prosecutors, Saho played a central role in a Seattle-area fentanyl distribution ring that operated across several cities, including Kent, Everett, and Seattle’s University District.
Federal investigators said Saho was identified as a high-volume fentanyl dealer through a wiretap investigation that culminated in 14 arrests in October 2024, followed by five additional arrests in late 2025.
The network reportedly relied on two regular distribution points in the University District, with several members allegedly armed while guarding or selling drugs.
Prosecutors told the court that Saho distributed thousands of fentanyl pills during the course of the operation and, at times, had access to as many as 10,000 pills simultaneously.
They added that he continued trafficking drugs even after law enforcement officers seized approximately 5,000 fentanyl pills from him during a traffic stop.
Over the year-long investigation, US law enforcement agencies seized an estimated 200,000 fentanyl pills, four kilograms of cocaine, about 60 firearms, multiple Glock “switches” used to convert pistols into automatic weapons, several suppressors, and roughly $250,000 believed to be proceeds from drug sales.
Authorities also disclosed that the alleged leader of the trafficking organization was shot and killed in the summer of 2024 outside one of the Seattle distribution locations.
In addition to his prison sentence, Saho was ordered to serve four years of supervised release. Prosecutors said he is a citizen of The Gambia without legal immigration status in the United States and is likely to be deported after completing his sentence.
Several other members of the trafficking conspiracy have already been sentenced, with prison terms ranging from four to ten years depending on their level of involvement.
