Bangladesh, Aug. 27 -- A Tukwila man with a long history of violent crime and drug distribution has been sentenced to a decade in federal prison for his central role in a sprawling drug trafficking network tied to an Aryan prison gang. The sentence marks the culmination of a two-year investigation that exposed the scale of narcotics flooding communities in Washington and Arizona, and highlighted the persistent overlap between white supremacist prison gangs and organized drug trade.

Anthony Escoto, 52, described by federal prosecutors as a “prolific drug distributor,” pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On Aug...