California man convicted of drug distribution in Kitsap and Pierce counties

TACOMA, Washington — A 28-year-old man from California was sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 66 months in prison.

The man identified as Andre Jackson was involved in trafficking fentanyl, laundering drug money and organizing the illegal smuggling of people across the United States-Mexico border, according to U.S. Attorney Tessa Mr. Gorman.

Officials said Jackson was a key drug distributor in Kitsap and Pierce counties.

According to case records, Jackson was in contact with a Mexican supplier known as “Pacheco.” In coordination with Pacheco, Jackson worked to manage the delivery of drugs from California to Washington state. He was also responsible for delivering the drugs in person.

According to officials, in August 2021, Jackson delivered 3,500 fentanyl pills to an individual who was working with law enforcement at the Tacoma Mall. Later that same day, he also made a small drug delivery to a co-defendant in Bremerton.

During the investigation, Jackson was identified as someone who facilitated the illegal smuggling of non-citizens across the U.S.-Mexico border. He used several social media accounts to recruit drivers to help him smuggle noncitizens across the border or pick them up once they crossed the border.

When Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Hobbs asked for a six-year prison sentence, he reminded the court of the dangers posed by some of the drugs Jackson helped distribute.

“But Jackson was more than just a street dealer or courier,” Hobbs wrote. “He was in direct contact with the leader of the DTO in Mexico and played a significant and knowing role in transporting the drugs from California to Washington, distributing the drugs in that state, and sending the profits back to Mexico.”

Jackson was arrested and charged in November 2022. In February 2024, he pleaded guilty to “conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to transport certain non-citizens for profit”.