Sheriff's Office - Sheriff Mike Harum reports on October 17, 2006 the Columbia River Drug Task Force (CRDTF) culminated a long-term investigation involving the wholesale distribution of large quantities of marijuana in the Wenatchee Valley.  CRDTF officers, with assistance from the Washington State Patrol Drug Control Unit based in Olympia, arrested Ubaldo Marias Sanchez, age 40, at Walla Walla Point Park after he delivered a total of nine (9) pounds of marijuana to an undercover operative.  The street value of the marijuana delivered was approximately $25,000.00. 

A search warrant was later executed at his residence, located off Rock Island Road in East Wenatchee.  Recovered at the home was over $90,000.00 in US currency, four (4) firearms and bullet proof vests.  When Sanchez was first arrested, he provided a false identity.  The Wenatchee Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Unit was requested to assist in verifying his identity. They discovered the true name of the suspect to be Ubaldo Sanchez.  It was also discovered he had recently spent three (3) years in prison in California for delivery of marijuana, had been deported, and had returned illegally to the United States under a false name.

The Columbia River Drug Task Force consists of investigators from the Wenatchee Police Department, Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office, and Chelan County Sheriff’s Office, and receives outside assistance from the Washington State Patrol on a regular basis.  In a recent study completed by the State of Washington, the CRDTF ranks number 6 in drug arrests, and number 3 in total arrests out of the twenty (20) task forces located throughout Washington State.