Bend residents charged in major drug trafficking pipeline between Portland and Central Oregon
PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — A drug trafficking case with ties to Central Oregon has now brought Bend residents into the middle of a much larger federal investigation.
Federal prosecutors say six people have been charged in connection with a methamphetamine and cocaine trafficking network that stretched from the Portland area to Bend, where investigators say two of the defendants helped move large quantities of drugs for resale.
Bend connection
Among those charged are Nathalie Claire Buchanan, 28, and Charles Ottis Johnson, 37, both of Bend. According to court documents, investigators say the two were trafficking partners who routinely bought large amounts of methamphetamine in the Portland and Salem areas and brought it back to the Bend area to sell.
Prosecutors say the case came into focus after a February 11 traffic stop, when police found more than 4 pounds of methamphetamine in the car Buchanan and Johnson were riding in. Investigators also reviewed text messages tied to the alleged drug deal, which they say added to the evidence against them.
How the case unfolded
The federal case stems from an investigation that began in July 2025, when the DEA, Oregon State Police, and the Clackamas County Interagency Task Force started looking into a Forest Grove supplier believed to be run by Mariano Perez-Sanchez.
Court documents say Perez-Sanchez acted as a drug dispatcher and took orders from retail-level distributors. Investigators say other defendants worked as couriers, including Cristina Echeverria, who allegedly delivered drugs to Buchanan at a hotel before the Bend-area traffic stop.
On February 17, 2026, OSP troopers stopped Echeverria and Rafael Mora Contreras after what authorities say was an overnight trip to California to restock drugs. Troopers allegedly found 28 pounds of methamphetamine and 6 kilograms of cocaine in Echeverria’s car.
Investigators also say Dagoberto Ayala-Lopez worked as a courier for Perez-Sanchez, and that a search of his vehicle and home turned up more than 2 kilograms of methamphetamine.
What prosecutors say
The six defendants were charged in a second superseding information on April 29 with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, along with other drug counts, including distribution of methamphetamine and cocaine.
The defendants are:
- Rafael Mora Contreras, 45, Forest Grove.
- Cristina Echeverria, 42, Forest Grove.
- Nathalie Claire Buchanan, 28, Bend.
- Charles Ottis Johnson, 37, Bend.
- Mariano Perez-Sanchez, 42, Forest Grove.
- Dagoberto Ayala-Lopez, 38, Hillsboro.
Bend suspects background
A review of court documents found Nathalie Buchanan has had several misdemeanor arrests, while Charles Johnson has an extensive criminal history in Crook County. He has been arrested at least 11 times in the County dating back to 2006. His arrests include DUII, eluding a police officer, theft, trespass, and possession.
DEA is leading the investigation with help from Oregon State Police and the Clackamas County Interagency Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lewis Burkhart is prosecuting the case.
