A federal jury has convicted 45-year-old Luis Esquivel-Bolanos, also known as “Colorado,” from Guerrero, Mexico, on multiple charges related to drug trafficking and firearms offenses.
United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice presided over the trial, which began on April 14, 2025. Esquivel-Bolanos now awaits sentencing on July 16, 2025, where he faces a potential life sentence and possible deportation.
Investigators with the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) identified Esquivel-Bolanos in January 2023 as part of a drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl across Eastern Washington—particularly the Oroville area and the Colville Indian Reservation—and extending into central Montana. The network sold illegal drugs on multiple Tribal lands, including the Crow, Northern Cheyenne, Rocky Boy’s, Fort Belknap, and Flathead Reservations. In Eastern Washington, Esquivel-Bolanos operated the organization with his co-defendant, Erubey Arciga Medrano, who has already pleaded guilty.
Evidence at trial revealed the organization used threats and intimidation to enforce control. In one case, they threatened a confidential informant, accusing them of being a “snitch” and stripping them during the confrontation. On another occasion, just before authorities dismantled the operation, members of the organization were dispatched to intimidate someone accused of stealing over thirty pounds of methamphetamine.
On April 19, 2023, a coordinated law enforcement operation—led by the BIA, DEA, and North Central Washington Narcotics Task Force—executed several federal search warrants on homes in rural Okanogan County, near Oroville. Officers seized about:
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161,000 fentanyl-laced pills, including Mexi-blues and rainbow-colored pills
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80 pounds of methamphetamine
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6 pounds of heroin
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Over 2 pounds of cocaine
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12 firearms
Many of these drugs were discovered inside the trailer where Esquivel-Bolanos lived.
Images included: bags of rainbow-colored fentanyl, seized drugs and firearms, and other illegal substances.
Acting U.S. Attorney Richard Barker, who led the prosecution alongside Nowles Heinrich and Echo Fatsis, said:
“I’ve worked on this case from the beginning. The amount of drugs taken off the streets in Eastern Washington and Montana—especially from Tribal land—is staggering. At the time of the arrest, the seizure from the Medrano-Bolanos operation was one of the largest ever in rural Washington. I’m deeply grateful for the tireless efforts of the BIA, DEA, and our partners who ended the dangerous and violent activities of Esquivel-Bolanos and his crew.”
Kurt Alme, U.S. Attorney for Montana, added:
“Drug traffickers targeting our tribal communities will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I appreciate the dedicated work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the BIA, DEA, and all law enforcement teams involved.”
Tom Atkinson, Deputy Associate Director of the BIA’s Division of Drug Enforcement, stated:
“This conviction results from powerful collaboration among Tribal, Federal, State, and Local law enforcement. The organization deliberately targeted Indian Country, showing the urgent need for continued cooperation. This sends a clear message—drug trafficking and exploiting vulnerable communities won’t be tolerated. The BIA remains dedicated to empowering Tribal law enforcement and protecting all communities.”
David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Seattle Field Division, said:
“Esquivel-Bolanos served as second-in-command of a drug ring that flooded the Oroville area and Colville Indian Reservation with deadly fentanyl and meth. Cartel members who target our Tribal communities are among the worst criminals, and this conviction ensures he will be held accountable.”
This case falls under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, which enhances resources for agencies investigating transnational drug crimes. Federal, state, local, and Tribal partners in Eastern Washington worked together to identify and prosecute those behind the drug operations.
The investigation involved the BIA Division of Drug Enforcement, DEA, and the North Central Washington Narcotics Task Force, with support from the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office, Colville Tribal Police, and Kalispel Tribal Police. In total, 27 defendants were charged and convicted in related prosecutions handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys and staff in Montana.
