Drug teams arrest two on suspicion of possessing and selling cocaine, in long-term surveillance operation
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team (CODE) and the Central Oregon Emergency Response Team (CERT) arrested two Central Oregon residents for reportedly possessing and selling cocaine, after they surveilled the pair for months as part of long-term investigation.
Read the full press release below:
At approximately 5:57 p.m. on Tuesday, June 24, the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team (CODE), in collaboration with the Central Oregon Emergency Response team (CERT), arrested Tyler Speas and Nichole Johnson on suspicion of possession and delivery of cocaine. This was a long-term investigation conducted by the Central Oregon Drug Team.
Drug agents and CERT team operators conducted a surveillance operation on Tuesday involving the illegal possession and distribution of illegal narcotics. Drug agents identified a red 2021 Chevy Colorado believed to be transporting illegal narcotics and identified the driver as Tyler Speas. CERT team members initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle on U.S. Highway 97 at mile marker 150, south of Bend. Drug Detection K9 Bonnie and her handler responded to the traffic stop. K9 Bonnie alerted to the odor of drugs in the vehicle. Drug agents applied for and were granted a search warrant for the vehicle.
During the subsequent search of the vehicle, drug agents located 2 kilograms of cocaine, a spring-assisted knife and a large sum of cash.
Speas was arrested and lodged at the Deschutes County Jail on the above offenses. The passenger in the vehicle, Nichole Johnson, was issued a citation in lieu of custody and released at the scene.
Drug agents applied for and were granted search warrants for two residences affiliated with Speas, including a home in the 61000 block of Tomahawk Street in Bend and a residence in Myrtle Point. During the execution of these residential search warrants, drug agents located additional controlled substances, cash and other drug-related items.
The Central Oregon Drug Enforcement (CODE) team is a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program and the following Central Oregon law enforcement agencies: Bend Police Department, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, Redmond Police Department, Prineville Police Department, Crook County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Madras Police Department, Oregon State Police, Sunriver Police Department, Black Butte Police Department, United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Warm Springs Tribal Police Department, Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson County District Attorney’s, and the Oregon National Guard.
The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement task forces to disrupt or dismantle local, multi-state and international drug trafficking organizations.
