A multi-agency fentanyl enforcement operation resulted in dozens of arrests, as well as the seizure of drugs, firearms, and cash.

In a coordinated effort to protect the public from the deadly impact of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB), in collaboration with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program, conducted a series of drug enforcement missions in the month of February. These missions, a result of fentanyl and other drugs flooding the region due to Honduran drug trafficking organizations working with the Sinaloa Cartel, led to dozens of arrests and the seizure of substantial amounts of fentanyl powder and pills, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin. Firearms and cash were seized, as well.

Driven by a shared commitment to community safety, these joint missions resulted in:

46 arrests
20 firearms seized
$204,007 in cash seized
44 pounds of fentanyl powder seized
2,507 fentanyl pills seized
22 pounds of methamphetamine seized
9 pounds of cocaine seized
2 pounds of heroin seized

“Fentanyl has no place in our city. Our partnership with local, state, and federal agencies makes our collective response stronger,” Portland Police Chief Bob Day said. “This operation was a success, but it is only one step in a larger, sustained effort to keep Portland safe.”

“I am proud of the work by our deputies. Law enforcement has an important role in combatting fentanyl, and the violence and crime it brings with it,” Multnomah County Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell said. “The success of these operations proves the strength of our partnerships and our shared commitment to keeping our community safe.”

"This has been a priority of my office from day one. And I'm glad to see that we're making progress,” Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez added. “We have more work to do but we remain dedicated to this effort.”

"We echo our partner's sentiments about collaboration - partnerships have always been central to the FBI's success," said FBI Portland Special Agent in Charge Doug Olson. "Coming together on a major disruption like this benefits our community and is the most effective way for law enforcement to combat the fentanyl epidemic. We look forward to working with our partners to continue these efforts."

"Fentanyl, as we all know, is an incredibly addictive, destructive, and deadly drug that's absolutely devastating our communities," said Scott Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Oregon.

"Fentanyl traffickers prey on our communities by peddling potentially lethal drugs,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “The fentanyl seized by our team in this case could have yielded over 1.5 million lethal doses – enough to kill everyone in Portland twice. I am proud that the DEA could help our partners bring this surge to a successful conclusion, saving lives here in Portland and throughout Oregon.”

PPB would like to thank its partners for their commitment to public safety and public health, including HIDTA. The HIDTA Interdiction Team (HIT) is a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force that identifies, disrupts, and dismantles local, multi-state, and international drug trafficking organizations using intelligence-driven, multi-agency, prosecutor-supported approaches. HIT is supported by Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) which is composed of members from the Portland Police Bureau, Homeland Security Investigations, Oregon State Police, Internal Revenue Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, Amtrak Police, and Oregon National Guard Counter-Drug Task Force. The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives, including HIT.

Source: Portland Police

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