That’s about 16% of the population of the United States… how much is getting through our open borders?
PORTLAND, Ore. – It’s a blow to the drug cartels plaguing our country. Four suspected drug traffickers, allegedly linked to a dangerous Mexico-based transnational criminal organization, now face the full force of federal charges after law enforcement intercepted their attempt to transport a mind-boggling 370 gallons of liquid heroin.
Marco Antonio Magallon, 44, Luis Deleon Woodward, 26, and Jorge Luis Amador, 25, all hailing from Yakima, Washington, along with Santos Alisael Aguilar Maya, 32, whose whereabouts remain shrouded in mystery, find themselves named in a criminal complaint that accuses them of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin. The seriousness of their crimes cannot be overstated.
According to court documents, a chilling multi-agency drug trafficking investigation provided intelligence that these individuals, linked to a transnational criminal organization, were brazenly shipping illegal narcotics into the heart of Oregon. The evening of January 24 and early hours of January 25, 2024, proved pivotal as investigators spotted a rental moving truck driven by Amador, carefully shadowed by a red pickup truck, as they made their way west on Interstate 84 near Bonneville, Oregon.
As though straight out of a Hollywood thriller, these sinister vehicles, acting in unholy collusion, arrived at a motel in Tigard, Oregon, with a quick detour at a commercial parking lot in Beaverton, Oregon. The nefarious intentions of the suspects were becoming painfully clear. Gritty surveillance work thwarted their plans and ensured justice would be served.
Investigators wasted no time executing federal search warrants on the defendant’s motel room and vehicles. What they uncovered—a mind-boggling find that included not only eight 55-gallon barrels holding approximately 370 gallons of liquid narcotic stashed away inside the moving truck but also two loaded handguns found hidden in the motel room.
All four defendants were rounded up without incident. The seized narcotics, weighing a staggering approximate 1.4 metric tons, were swiftly transported to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) narcotics room for safekeeping. The subsequent lab tests confirmed what we already suspected—the barrels carried a massive payload of liquid heroin. Another brazen attempt to poison our streets has been dismantled, all thanks to the vigilant efforts of these law enforcement officers.
This case boasts a team effort between Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO), and the Westside Interagency Narcotics Team (WIN).
The Westside Interagency Narcotics Team (WIN), hailing from the Washington County, Oregon, High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), comprising members of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Beaverton and Hillsboro Police Departments, the Oregon National Guard Counter Drug Program, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), FBI, and HSI all played a part in this seizure.