Damien Jenkins, a 35-year-old resident of the District of Columbia, received a sentence of 151 months in federal prison for his involvement with the "21st and Vietnam" drug trafficking organization. This announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, alongside FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan from the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, DEA Special Agent in Charge Ibrar A. Mian from the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Jenkins entered a guilty plea on February 11, 2025, to charges of conspiracy to distribute significant quantities of fentanyl along with cocaine, N-n-dimethylpentalone (known as "boot"), and phencyclidine (PCP). U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell also imposed five years of supervised release following Jenkins's prison term.
Court documents reveal that Jenkins was part of the "21st and Vietnam" crew, which distributed drugs such as fentanyl and cocaine in an open-air market located at the 1900 block of I Street, NE. The crew operated out of a vacant apartment used for processing and packaging drugs for redistribution. Sales were conducted at various locations including the front of the building and a parking lot behind it.
Jenkins admitted responsibility for distributing between 1.2 to 3.9 kilos of fentanyl as well as other substances like cocaine, boot, and PCP. An incident on March 7, 2024 involved co-defendant Charles Manson receiving a ski mask from Jenkins before Manson opened fire during an altercation outside 1919 I Street, NE.
A search warrant executed at Jenkins's residence on May 15, 2024 led to law enforcement recovering several firearms including an AK pattern firearm and two handguns along with ammunition and $3,342 in cash.
The investigation into this case was carried out by the MPD along with DEA Washington Division and FBI Washington Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Duvall and Solomon Eppel are prosecuting this case.