WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A drug dealer suspected to be operating around Whatcom County was arrested Monday, April 15.

Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Deb Slater said the Gang and Drug Task Force started the investigation in the summer of 2023. The suspect was believed to be a mid-level fentanyl dealer in the Whatcom County area.

The task force’s investigation developed probable cause to arrest the suspect, identified as 50-year-old Rickey Peralez of Snohomish County. Lummi Police detained Peralez during a traffic stop near the Lummi Indian Reservation Monday.

Deputies arrived on the scene and transported Peralez to the Whatcom County Jail, where he remains without bail.