DCSO Street Crimes unit seizes 13,000 fentanyl pills trafficked from Mexico; 3 suspects arrested
Series of raids took place around the county in recent days
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – Three people were arrested and about 13,000 counterfeit Oxycodone fentanyl pills were seized in a series of recent raids around Deschutes County, wrapping up a lengthy investigation into drug trafficking from a supplier in Mexico, sheriff’s deputies said Thursday.
The Sheriff’s Office Street Crimes Unit concluded its long-time investigation that used “numerous investigative tactics to obtain evidence of drug sales” by a 44-year-old Sunriver-area man, a 30-year-old Redmond man and a 29-year-old Redmond woman, Sergeant Jason Wall said.
The local drug traffickers were working with an organization receiving fentanyl pills and powder from a supply source in Mexico, he said.
The Street Crimes Unit conducted a series of search warrants in the Sisters, Redmond, Bend and Sunriver areas, Wall said.
On Friday, March 31, SCU detectives stopped and arrested the Bend man, who they said was in possession of about 2,000 of the fentanyl pills, an ounce of powdered fentanyl and a 9 mm handgun. Along with felony drug charges, he was jailed on a first-degree trademark counterfeit charge, also a felony.
Detectives identified his Sunriver-area residences and were granted a search warrant, finding more fentanyl and evidence indicating drug sales.
The next day, April 1, SCU detectives tried to pull over the other two suspects’ vehicle in the Redmond area, Wall said. Both ran from the vehicle but were quickly detained by SCU, with the help of Redmond Police officers and that agencies’ street crimes detectives.
They were found to possess over 10,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills with fentanyl, nearly two ounces of powdered fentanyl and a loaded handgun the sergeant said.
SCU detectives learned the Redmond pair also had been living at a home on Fugarwee Circle in Deschutes River Woods, south of Bend. Last Sunday, the DCSO SWAT Team executed a search warrant at the home and found over 1,000 more counterfeit Oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and evidence of drug sales in their vehicle and room.
Along with the felony drug charges the three were jailed on, the Redmond man also is charged with first-degree trademark counterfeit, felon in possession of a weapon and a parole violation warrant.
Wall said the sheriff’s office wants to thank Sunriver Police, the Redmond Police Street Crimes Unit and the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team for their help in the investigation.
