Portland Police Intercept Massive Fentanyl Haul from Sinaloa Cartel-Linked Traffickers
PORTLAND, Ore. — Drug raids organized by the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) in a multi-agency sting operation helped disrupt the flow of dangerous substances by Honduran drug trafficking organizations that work with the Sinaloa Cartel.
Dozens of Suspects Arrested, and Large Amounts of Lethal Drugs Seized
Dozens of suspects were arrested, and law enforcement officers seized large amounts of fentanyl powder and pills, methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine. The drug raids also uncovered caches of firearms and cash.
PPB chief, Bob Day vows that the operation was ‘only one step in a larger, sustained effort to keep Portland safe.’
The sting operation was a coordinated joint effort between the PPB and the Multnomah County Sheriff’s and County District Attorney’s Offices, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program.
The operations took place throughout February and resulted in the arrest of 46 suspects, the seizure of 44 pounds of fentanyl powder and 2,507 pills, 22 pounds of methamphetamine, nine pounds of cocaine, 2 pounds of heroin, 20 firearms, and $204,0007 in cash.
In a news release by the PPB, the FBI Portland Special Agent in Charge Doug Olson said the joint operation was ‘the most effective way for law enforcement to combat the fentanyl epidemic.’
His sentiments were echoed by Multnomah County Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell, who says ‘law enforcement plays an important role in combating fentanyl and the crime it brings.’
DEA Agent Says Fentanyl Seized in Raids Was Enough to Kill Everyone in Portland Twice
David Reames, the Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Seattle Field Division, says ‘fentanyl traffickers prey on communities by peddling potentially lethal drugs’ and that the fentanyl seized in the sting operations was ‘enough to kill everyone in Portland twice.’ Reams said the drugs seized yielded over 1.5 million lethal doses.