Downtown Drug Operation Leads to Two Arrests, Seizure of Fentanyl and Weapons

A multi-agency law enforcement operation targeting suspected drug activity in downtown Port Angeles resulted in two arrests and the seizure of fentanyl, methadone, and a cache of weapons on Monday.

Daun Lee Layton, 44, was booked into the Clallam County Correction Facility Monday on allegations of manufacturing, delivering, or possessing a controlled substance with intent.

Layton made a preliminary appearance in Clallam County Superior Court on Tuesday, where she was appointed a defense attorney and an order establishing her conditions of release was filed.

Following the hearing, Layton was released from custody at 1:48 p.m, according to the county jail roster.

She is scheduled to return to court for a motion hearing at 1 p.m. on Thursday, June 18, before Judge Elizabeth Stanley.

The arrests stem from a joint operation led by the Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team, in cooperation with the Port Angeles Police Department and the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office.

According to OPNET, Detectives had been surveilling a blue Dodge Durango parked in the 100 block of East 3rd Street following multiple community complaints of “short stay traffic” associated with the vehicle.

While monitoring the Durango on Monday, June 15, detectives observed activity consistent with street-level drug sales. OPNET arranged for CCSO deputies to contact a suspected buyer shortly after an observed transaction.

That stop led to the arrest of Dennis P. Tierney, 52, for possession of a controlled substance after deputies recovered a small amount of suspected fentanyl.

Meanwhile, OPNET detectives observed another suspected transaction and noted multiple other individuals approaching the Durango. At that time, CCSO deputies and PAPD officers made contact at the vehicle and detained the occupants.

After obtaining a search warrant for the Dodge Durango, investigators discovered several weapons stored in a manner that made them quickly and easily accessible to the driver.

Authorities recovered a large, fixed-blade knife from the driver’s side door panel, alongside two revolvers located between the driver’s seat and the center console. A third revolver, later determined to be a pellet gun, was found in the same location.

A search of the vehicle also yielded approximately 2.64 grams of fentanyl chalk, a digital scale with residue, various pills, multiple bottles of methadone, and drug paraphernalia.

According to OPNET, the investigation remains active and additional charges are possible.