WEST SEATTLE CRIME WATCH: RV bust nets guns, drugs (updated Thursday)

ORIGINAL 9:30 PM REPORT: A narcotics investigation in West Seattle led to the seizure of an RV, drugs, and guns today. We learned about this from Southwest Precinct Officer German Barreto at the just-concluded Morgan Community Association quarterly meeting (lots of hot topics, full report to come). He said it happened at 26th SW and SW Cambridge this afternoon; at least four guns were seized, along with various quantities of suspected drugs, and the RV. Its resident could not be booked into King County Jail because of serious medical issues, he said, but the case will be submitted for charges.

1 PM THURSDAY UPDATE: We followed up with SPD, and they’ve just posted additional details via SPD Blotter:

… Wednesday’s arrest marked the culmination of an investigation into reports of drugs being purchased at the vehicle, parked in the 2600 block of Southwest Cambridge Street. In addition to dealing drugs, the RV occupants are also accused of running a fencing operation – purchasing stolen items from people and paying in cash and or drugs.

Seattle police narcotics detectives, as well as Southwest Precinct officers, say they saw foot traffic going in and out of the RV during the several weeks long investigation.

On Wednesday, officers arrested one of the RV occupants without incident. Officers coordinated to have the area cleaned and the RV removed.

In total police recovered:

159.9g of Fentanyl
38.8g of Methamphetamine
Two shotguns
Two handguns
Ammunition
Scale, phone, cash

Alki resident July 16, 2025 (10:20 pm)

Right by the schools. Lovely

Tabitha Miera July 18, 2025 (12:13 pm)

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Is this the RV that has been parking around with the bikes on top?

Rocky Bullwinkle July 17, 2025 (5:02 am)

Wasn’t booked due to “serious medical conditions” but apparently these conditions were not serious enough to prevent person from procuring illegal guns and drugs. So back on the street?

Boris Snidely July 18, 2025 (1:57 am)

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Rocky B, I was thinking maybe he ingested some of his product when he knew he was caught? Might be passing a baggie w 5 more grams real soon!

Patience July 17, 2025 (6:33 am)

What schools??? This is in a residential area (our friends live two houses away) at 26th & Cambridge – one block south of the light next to McDonald’s & Barton.Roxhill is at 30th & Roxbury.Holy Family is on 20th & Roxbury.

Patience July 17, 2025 (6:34 am)

Resident July 17, 2025 (7:06 am)

SPD, thank you for your service. This is one of many examples of how you’re keeping us safe. The silent majority deeply appreciates you, despite the vocal minority

Jay July 18, 2025 (10:15 am)

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Can you elaborate on how this success by the narcotics detectives cancel out all of the crimes and abuses committed by beat cops? Wrongs and rights don’t cancel out, there still needs to be justice.

Gladys Kravitz July 17, 2025 (3:59 pm)

Thank you SPD. It’s time to quit calling this a homeless crisis. It’s a drug addiction crisis. Ive seen it firsthand out of my front window. Ive made numerous calls to 911. A nice looking car would pull up. 15 minutes later people show up on bikes with backpacks. They’ed would all be gone in 30 minutes. Ive seen assaults (called 911) Ive seen OD’s (called 911). They are homeless due to their addiction. And of course where’s there are drugs there are guns and stolen property (see the bicycles, tools, sometimes a really nice motorcycle). Id like to see more money for Addiction and Mental Health services. Unfortunately that’s not up to me. And again, thank you SPD for all of your efforts.

k July 18, 2025 (9:15 am)

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There is an opioid/drug crisis AND a homeless/housing affordability crisis. Sometimes they overlap, but often they don’t and conflating the two leaves the majority of people affected by both crises flapping in the wind. You can see from the medical examiner’s report that most of the people dying from drug overdoses are doing so in their own homes. There are many, many addicts who have housing, just as there are many, many homeless people who are not suffering from addiction. If you truly, genuinely care about advocating about these issues and aren’t just concern trolling because you don’t like seeing poor people, you will get the facts about the issue and advocate for policies surrounding addiction that help addicts (housed or otherwise) and policies about housing that help the homeless (whether they also have a substance use disorder or not).

SteveO July 17, 2025 (5:02 pm)

Seriously. 160g. If true, can’t that much fentanyl kill 10Ks of people. Really need to consider a charge that yields a potential for life in prison.

Neighbor July 19, 2025 (10:36 pm)

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No, it isn’t enough to kill 10k people. The kind of vengeful overkill you suggest has proven to be ineffective every time it is tried. Please learn to control your emotions.
- M July 21, 2025 (12:40 am)
  
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  If 2mg of fentanyl can kill an adult; 160g (160,000mg) has the potential to kill 80,000 people. Some people could tolerate a higher exposure because they have an opioid tolerance. If the statistic for reported opioid use disorder is around 4%, 160 grams would still be at least 77,000 lethal doses.

WSzombie July 17, 2025 (6:44 pm)

A lot of this crime and drug sales wouldn’t be so out in the open if there was more enforcement of the “RV Ranching” laws. It’s disgusting how the RVs are impounded, sold for pocket change, then rented out to be used for crime. Some good reading. https://web.archive.org/web/20190808140002/https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/homeless/vehicle-ranching-in-seattle-inside-the-underground-market-of-renting-rvs-to-homeless-people/

Rhonda July 17, 2025 (7:39 pm)

Where there’s smoke there’s fire and where there’s illegally-parked RVs there’s deadly drug-dealing and stolen guns.

anonyme July 18, 2025 (6:00 am)

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100 %. This practice needs to be addressed when a single RV surpasses the 72 hr limit, not when it turns into a months or even years-long encampment. A few months ago there was another such small encampment (maybe the same one) near WV, where there was drug dealing and use right out on the sidewalk – and definitely near schools, both Denny and Sealth. Not that it makes a difference; this should not be tolerated anywhere.
Neighbor July 19, 2025 (10:40 pm)

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Rhonda, not all RVs are selling drugs. You must know that and yet you still choose to tell a harmful lie that hurts our community.

Question Authority July 17, 2025 (9:04 pm)

The sawed off rifle on top of the drugs “should” bring serious charges and I’m not seeing a second shotgun due to the bolt action.

Daniel July 18, 2025 (10:51 am)

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Even though ostensibly that’s a 10yr federal prison sentence, I doubt it will even be handed over to the feds, and even if it was it’s not clear they would prosecute it.
Neighbor July 19, 2025 (10:45 pm)

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It seems like the police get these details wrong frequently in these reports. Is that a deliberate thing to make it easier for public consumption? Is the person writing the descriptions just uneducated on the subject matter? What else do they get wrong? Are those even real drugs?