Lummi chairman praises federal drug crackdown on tribal deaths

Lummi Nation officials say this week's arrests could provide some measure of justice in a drug ring linked to recent overdose deaths of tribal members. The tribe near Bellingham put the fentanyl epidemic in the national spotlight last September when four members died of drug overdoses within days of each other and the tribe declared a state of emergency.

Tony Hillaire, chairman of the Lummi Indian Business Council, said this criminal case forces everyone to revisit the pain of last fall's losses and beyond.

“Now we remember the time when Lummi Nation had an overwhelming number of overdose deaths, and seeing articles and media outlets saying Lummi Nation was a target of this drug activity is hurtful to many of us Hillaire said.

But he said, “Nevertheless, in the midst of this adversity, we give thanks and find strength in being there for each other and families.”

Hillaire said he was grateful for what he called the remarkable cooperation between Lummi Tribal Police and federal officials and investigators to pursue this case and other remedial efforts.

“It was just a lot of heartache, a lot of heartache, a lot of confusion and a lot of questions that our people wanted answers to. And I think we're getting closer,” he said, “and that's what we can achieve if we work together.”

The U.S. Attorney's Office, FBI and DEA have charged 14 people with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and money laundering. Officials say the Renton-based drug ring has spread to multiple states and targeted tribal communities.

Hillaire said it is gratifying to see the tribal council taking action, getting criminal justice answers to block drug trafficking on tribal lands and expanding medication-assisted treatment and other supports for people with substance use disorders, among other things.

Federal investigators allege that the phone of one of the overdose victims contained contact information that linked them to the drug trafficking organization that they believe was led by Marquis Jackson. Jackson's parents Mandel and Matelita, or “Marty” Jackson, were also charged.

Marty Jackson was executive director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County's SE Network SafetyNet initiative, which receives city and county contracts for violence prevention efforts in the Rainier Beach neighborhood of South Seattle and sends teams to Seattle public schools. She is accused of helping the human trafficking organization launder money.

In a statement Thursday evening, the Boys & Girls Clubs of King County referred to Jackson as a “former” employee.

Seattle Public Schools issued a statement to KUOW on Friday saying it had “paused” future plans with the SE Network SafetyNet initiative led by Jackson. The statement said:

Seattle Public Schools (SPS) is aware of federal indictments against a prominent Seattle activist filed by the grand jury on October 3rd.

As soon as SPS learned of this issue, district officials contacted the City of Seattle to obtain information and determine next steps with the Boys and Girls Club as a service provider.

We have suspended all plans for a memorandum of understanding with the SE Network SafetyNet until there is more clarity on future operations.