Dozens of Law Enforcement Agencies Join Forces to Bring Down Major Drug Trafficking Organizations in Oregon
Searches and Arrests Cap Year-Long Investigation

Portland, Ore. - On Thursday, May 15, 2008, several hundred local and federal law enforcement officers served 17 arrest warrants and 13 search warrants on locations from Portland to Woodburn, Oregon, in a major drug trafficking investigation. Authorities arrested another individual on Tuesday, May 13, 2008 as part of this investigation. Three people remain fugitives.

A federal grand jury issued sealed indictments on Thursday, May 8, 2008, and Wednesday, May 14, 2008, charging a total of 20 people with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin. In addition, three of the defendants, Mariana Franco-Maldonado, Sosimo Peraza-Velazquez, and Oscar Francisco Macias-Ovalle, face charges for distribution of methamphetamine in the presence of children. During Thursday’s arrests and searches, 14 children were taken into protective custody. In addition, an infant was taken into protective custody as part of Tuesday’s arrest.

Twelve defendants made their initial appearances in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Donald C. Ashmanskas on Friday, May 16, 2008. All 12 defendants have been detained pending further court proceedings.

This week’s arrests and searches mark the second phase of an extensive investigation stretching back almost a year. The investigation involved a series of court-ordered wiretaps. On March 17, 2008 more than 20 people in Oregon, Washington and California were arrested on state and federal charges in connection with this investigation.

Yesterday, federal agents and local officers and deputies seized approximately:

• 7 vehicles
• 13 pounds of methamphetamine
• 1 kilogram of cocaine
• 2 lbs of marijuana
• 9 firearms
• $80,000 cash
• $16,000 seized account

In total, federal agents and local officers and deputies seized approximately:

• 21 vehicles
• 36½ pounds of methamphetamine
• 2½ kilogram of cocaine
• 6½ lbs of marijuana
• 24 firearms
• $163,000 cash

“Meth is a poison in our community. It is particularly reprehensible when dealing drugs takes place in the presence of children.” said, U.S. Attorney Karin J. Immergut. “I commend all of the law enforcement agencies who were involved in this complex and long term investigation.”

“This case represents one of the largest narcotics investigations here in the District of Oregon and touched both sides of the Sylvan Hills” said Special Agent in Charge David Ian Miller. “The success we achieved though this joint WIN, ROCN, and FBI investigation could only come about due to the willingness of all the agencies involved to commit the people and resources that were necessary to its success. We couldn’t be more thankful.”

This investigation involved the cooperation and participation of the following agencies for the past year: the FBI; Regional Organized Crime and Narcotics (ROCN) Team; Westside Interagency Narcotics (WIN) Team; Portland Police Bureau’s Crime Reduction Unit; the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigative (IRS-CI).

ROCN includes the following agencies: Portland Police Bureau; Gresham Police Department; Tigard Police Department; Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington and Columbia County Sheriff’s Offices; Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington County District Attorney’s Offices; Oregon State Police, High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, FBI, and the United States Attorney’s Office. WIN includes: Washington County Sheriff's Office, Tigard Police Department, Hillsboro Police Department, Beaverton Police Department, the Oregon National Guard, and the FBI.

In addition to the agencies listed above, these agencies assisted in the arrests and searches on Thursday, May 15, 2008: Metro Gang Enforcement Team (MGET); Washington County Interagency Gang Enforcement Team (IGET); Washington County Fraud and ID Theft Enforcement Team (FITE); Washington County Sheriff’s Office Tactical Negotiation Team (TNT); Portland Police Bureau’s Crisis Response Unit (PPB CRU); Portland Police Bureau’s Gang Enforcement Team (GET); Portland Police Bureau’s Drugs and Vice Division (PPB DVD); Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit (SIU); Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team; the Gresham Police Department’s Street Crime Unit; the
Salem Meth Strike Force; and the Canby Narcotics Team.

An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant should be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Kerin, Jane Shoemaker, and Ethan Knight.

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