MARION COUNTY, OR (February 9, 2023) - The Oregon State Police is reporting that on Tuesday, February 7, 2023, at approximately 10:08 A.M., an OSP Trooper located a 2013 Hyundai SUV at the Santiam Rest Area off Interstate 5, near milepost 240.
The Trooper, part of an OSP K-9 Team, made observations of the vehicle that led him to believe the driver was involved in criminal activity. After a conversation with the driver furthered the Trooper’s reasonable suspicion to believe criminal activity was occurring, a vehicle search was conducted. The Trooper located approximately 1.4 kilograms of fentanyl powder concealed in the vehicle.
The driver, identified as Arlin Barahon-Erazo (18) from Oakland, California, was taken into custody and lodged in the Marion County Jail.
OSP Troopers were assisted during the investigation by Detectives from the OSP-Criminal Investigations Division-Drug Enforcement Section (Domestic Highway Enforcement Initiative) and the Drug Enforcement Administration - Salem.
The Oregon State Police-Domestic Highway Enforcement Initiative is supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).
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 the OSP-DHE Initiative.
