2026 cases through July (Image: King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office)
King County prosecutors say they are filing 15 felony drug dealing charges a month so far in 2026 with Capitol Hill cases ranking fourth among the city’s crackdown hot spots.
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office says it filed 106 felony drug dealing charges through July, with Capitol Hill a key enforcement hub outside Seattle’s central downtown core.
According to the update, nine felony dealing cases originated in Capitol Hill ranking it among the city’s most active areas for prosecution behind Belltown (18), Downtown (15), and the Chinatown-International District’s 12th and Jackson intersection (13).
Capitol Hill came in just below 12th and Jackson and the city of Auburn in the overall tally.
County prosecutors said that illicit synthetic opioids and stimulants dominate the neighborhood networks. Nearly 80% of all filed cases countywide involved fentanyl, methamphetamine, or both, with fentanyl present in 66% of charges.
The caseload arrives amid an ongoing overdose crisis, with King County recording 446 confirmed fatal overdoses through July 2026, following 914 fatal overdoses in 2025.
“Drug dealers who profit from fentanyl and meth are fueling a crisis that is devastating families across King County,” Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion said in the announcement.
While city municipal prosecutors handle low-level possession, county prosecutors pursue felony distribution cases referred by law enforcement.
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