Drug trafficker who plotted to kill WA police officer sentenced in federal court
A 35-year-old California woman accused of plotting to kill a Centralia police officer has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for her role in a transnational drug-dealing organization.
Iris Adrianna Amador-Garcia of Bellflower, California, learned of her sentence during a Seattle federal court hearing Tuesday, according to court records.
“Threats against law enforcement are a line in the sand that is completely unacceptable,” U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour said in ordering the sentence.
Prosecutors identified Amador-Garcia and Jose Maldonado-Ramirez as co-leaders of the drug operation. Court records indicate the pair “redistributed incredibly large amounts” of methamphetamine, heroine and fentanyl across the continental U.S. and even overseas to Fiji. As part of plea agreements, both pleaded guilty in 2023 to three crimes: conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
The organization was well-organized, well-resourced, and well-connected, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington Charles Neil Floyd said in a Tuesday news release.
“This defendant was prepared to take drastic measures to protect what she had built. She and her criminal associates were intercepted openly discussing killing an officer after a large shipment of drugs was seized,” Floyd said. “I am grateful for the diligent work of law enforcement to keep that officer safe, and to take these dangerous traffickers off the street and shut down their pipeline of devastating narcotics.”
Coughenour sentenced Maldonado-Ramirez to 15 years in prison and four years of supervised release on Sept. 16, 2023, according to court records.
U.S. Drug Enforcement Agents first identified Amador-Garcia and Maldonado-Ramirez in February 2020 as “large-scale methamphetamine distributors” in Western Washington, per court records.
Over the next 18 months, investigators unveiled the transnational scope of the operation and identified several local distributors in Western Washington.
Agents used confidential sources to conduct 12 controlled buys from Amador-Garcia, Maldonado-Ramirez and associates, per court records. Through the controlled buys and multiple seizures, agents reportedly recovered 128 pounds of meth and close to 37,000 fentanyl pills.
Law enforcement accelerated the arrest of Amador-Garcia and Maldonado-Ramirez after they allegedly threatened a Centralia police officer on Oct. 4, 2021, per the records. Agents allegedly overheard the pair plan to kill the officer during an intercepted call.
The call reportedly occurred just six days after the officer seized 57 pounds of meth and 20,000 fentanyl pills from an operation associate in Washington. Agents alerted the officer and had him and his family placed under protective custody at a hotel.
Over the next few months, agents executed search warrants, arrested many people involved in the operation and seized more drugs and dozens of firearms, per court records.
Attorney Michele Shaw represented Amador-Garcia. In a memo to the court, Shaw asked for 10 years in prison followed by four years of supervised release.
Amador-Garcia accepted responsibility for her role as an equal partner in the organization and understands the harm she caused, including to the Centralia officer, Shaw wrote in the memo.
“At the same time, Ms. Amador-Garcia asks that the court consider her history and characteristics and her ongoing medical and mental health needs,” Shaw wrote. “... These factors support a sentence that is sufficient, but not greater than necessary, to reflect the seriousness of the offense, promote respect for the law, provide just punishment, afford adequate deterrence and ensure that necessary medical care is provided in the most effective manner.”
The memo includes a letter addressed to Coughenour from Amador-Garcia. In the letter, Amador-Garcia apologizes to the judge and the U.S. government.
“I know my apology cannot erase my bad actions and decisions,” Amador Garcia wrote. “They are precisely the reason I find myself in this situation, far away from my loved ones and my son. I know I played a significant role in this conspiracy and I understand the seriousness of my behavior.”
Amador-Garcia wrote that her family is dealing with constant threats against them after law enforcement seized money from her residence.
“I very foolishly made decisions based on persons who told me they loved me and cared for me. I wanted to be accepted. There is absolutely no justification for my role in this conspiracy. I need to redeem myself with each of them. I am missing a very critical time in my son’s life.”
She hopes to repair her familial relationships and financially support her family once she is released and returns to Mexico, she wrote.
Coughenour ultimately sentenced her to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release, court records indicate.
Amador-Garcia sourced drugs from Mexico, Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Seattle Field Division, said in the release.
“This sentence sends a clear message that those who traffic fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other deadly drugs into our communities, and those who threaten violence against law enforcement, will be held accountable,” Saccone said.
In addition to Washington, the operation distributed drugs to New York, Massachusetts, Florida, Tennessee, Virginia, Arkansas, Illinois and Ohio, per court records.
“Ms. Amador-Garcia and her organization distributed incredibly large amounts of deadly drugs to all corners of the country,” said Special Agent in Charge Carrie Nordyke, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Seattle Field Office, said in the release. “Not only did she deal drugs, she also inflicted violence on our communities.”
This story was originally published June 2, 2026 at 5:13 PM.
