EUGENE, OR — A Mexican national residing unlawfully in Lane County, Oregon, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison in connection with the largest methamphetamine seizure in state history, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Martin Manzo Negrete, 51, was sentenced to 180 months in prison and five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The sentence stems from a 2021 investigation that uncovered 384 pounds of methamphetamine, valued at more than $1 million, in a Lane County storage unit.

Manzo Negrete, who has a prior federal drug trafficking conviction and previously served 14 years in prison, was identified as the leader of the Manzo-Mares drug trafficking cell. According to court documents, the organization transported meth from Southern California for distribution in and around Lane County. Authorities say he supplied multiple pounds of meth to local dealers weekly.

A coordinated law enforcement operation in September 2021 resulted in federal search warrants at several Lane County locations, where officers seized the meth, 14 firearms (some stolen), and over $76,000 in cash. Manzo Negrete and five associates were arrested and have since been convicted and sentenced to federal prison.

The case was investigated by the DEA with support from the Springfield Police Department, Eugene Police Department, and the Linn Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team. It was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces program.