Two La Pine area residents arrested after Madras traffic stop leads to fentanyl bust

(Update: a previous version of this article referred to those arrested as La Pine residents)

MADRAS, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Two La Pine area residents were arrested in Madras on Thursday, March 26 after an investigation led to the discovery of more than 50 grams of fentanyl powder. Danielle Renee Hood, 38, and Zachary Steven Simmons, 30, were taken into custody and face multiple charges, including delivery and possession of a controlled substance.

The arrests followed a short-term investigation by the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement team (CODE). Investigators say Hood had been traveling to the Portland area to obtain fentanyl and then returning to Deschutes County to distribute it.

The two were stopped around 5 p.m. at the intersection of NW Cherry Lane and U.S. Highway 26. Simmons was driving a 2015 gray Kia Sportage, with Hood in the passenger seat. The stop was part of CODE’s ongoing narcotics investigation.

A Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office K9 named Keira helped at the scene and alerted handlers to the presence of drugs in the vehicle. Detectives then obtained a search warrant from a judge before searching the car.

Inside the Kia, investigators found more than 50 grams of fentanyl powder, a small amount of methamphetamine, drug ledgers, and packaging materials. Authorities said those materials are consistent with drug sales and distribution.

Hood and Simmons were booked into the Jefferson County Jail. Both face charges of possession and delivery of a Schedule II controlled substance, along with possession of methamphetamine. Oregon State Police and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office also assisted with the case.

The multi-agency CODE task force operates under the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program, a federally funded initiative through the Office of National Drug Control Policy. The task force includes members from local police departments, sheriff’s offices, and federal agencies such as the FBI and DEA.