2 Californian Drug Traffickers Arrested In Major Ashland Bust

ASHLAND, Ore. — Following a long-term investigation, the Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement (MADGE) team arrested two men suspected of trafficking drugs from California into Southern Oregon on November 5. Around 20 pounds of methamphetamine was seized during the operation.

Two Men Connected To Major Meth Trafficking Operation Arrested In Ashland

The  Medford Police Department (MPD) indicated in a report that the MADGE team made contact with several individuals in a vehicle in Ashland who were suspected of trafficking methamphetamine into Southern Oregon from California.

A search warrant was executed on the vehicle, and after finding about 20 pounds of methamphetamine, two men were arrested, both from California: Gabriel Calderon, 62- from Madera, and 42-year-old Randall Banks, from Sonora.

The MADGE team is a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force that includes members of the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the District Attorney’s Office, Parole and Probation, the Medford Police Department, Jackson County Sheriff, and Eagle Point Police Department.

The team works towards identifying, disrupting, and dismantling local, multi-state, and international drug trafficking organizations, and the MADGE team uses an intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach with prosecutorial support.

Co-ordinating with the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program, the collaboration gets crucial resources to combat drug trafficking and enhance public safety.

Calderon and Banks were lodged in the Jackson County Jail and face multiple drug-related charges, including Unlawful Delivery, Unlawful Manufacture, and Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine. Investigations into their suspected drug trafficking activities are ongoing.