PORTLAND, OR — A multi-agency enforcement operation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Seattle Field Division has resulted in 46 arrests and the seizure of large quantities of drugs, firearms, and cash in Portland, Oregon.
The investigation focused on disrupting the open-air drug market in Multnomah County, where Honduran traffickers allegedly affiliated with the Sinaloa Cartel were distributing fentanyl and other narcotics.
The enforcement activity, conducted in the first quarter of 2025, involved the DEA Portland District Office in coordination with the Portland Police Bureau, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program.
The operation yielded the following seizures:
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46 arrests
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20 firearms
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$204,007 in cash
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44 pounds of fentanyl powder
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2,507 fentanyl pills
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22 pounds of methamphetamine
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9 pounds of cocaine
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2 pounds of heroin
According to DEA estimates, two milligrams of fentanyl can be fatal. The amount of fentanyl seized in this operation could have produced over 1.5 million lethal doses.
“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,” said DEA Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge David F. Reames.
“I am proud that DEA could help our partners bring this surge to a successful conclusion, saving lives here in Portland and throughout Oregon.”
Portland Police Chief Bob Day called the operation a step in a broader campaign to address the city’s drug crisis. “Fentanyl has no place in our city. Our partnership with local, state, and federal agencies makes our collective response stronger,” Day said.
The HIDTA Interdiction Team (HIT), a multi-jurisdictional task force, supported the operation through an intelligence-driven approach aimed at dismantling trafficking organizations at all levels.
For more information about the dangers of fentanyl, visit DEA.gov/OnePill.
