PORTLAND OR – Recently, Oregon State Police (OSP) and the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) partnered on a drug enforcement mission targeting drug dealers in downtown Portland. The mission resulted in ten arrests for distribution of fentanyl.
The Wednesday, July 17, 2024, mission was part of an ongoing effort among the two agencies to disrupt fentanyl use and distribution in the city.
The mission brought together PPB's Central Bike Squad, OSP's Drug Enforcement Section, and Mobile Response Team which has been deployed for downtown Portland enforcement efforts since October 2023. Since its initial deployment, the team has completed more than 40 missions.
During the operation, the interagency team seized:
- 243.3 grams of powdered fentanyl
- 2.6 grams of methamphetamine
- $2,131 in U.S. currency
- One firearm
Twelve individuals were arrested, with ten charged with distributing fentanyl.
Arrestees and charges included:
- Charles Thomas (33), residence unknown, charged with distribution of a controlled substance – fentanyl
- Casey Caebe (36), residence unknown, arrested on an outstanding warrant
- Shafi Mursal (36) of Portland, charged with distribution of a controlled substance – fentanyl
- Herdiese Bates (41) of Portland, charged with distribution of a controlled substance – fentanyl
- Baker Mursal (32) of Beaverton, charged with felon in possession of a firearm and arrested on outstanding warrants
- Isais Mercado (31), residence unknown, charged with distribution of a controlled substance – fentanyl, giving false information, and an outstanding warrant
- Oliverio Martinez, (27), residence unknown, charged with distribution of a controlled substance – fentanyl and attempted escape
- Michael Karim, (23) of Beaverton, charged with distribution of a controlled substance – fentanyl
- Daryl Johnson (49) of Portland, charged with distribution of a controlled substance – fentanyl
- Cameron Cain (26) of Aloha, charged with distribution of a controlled substance – fentanyl and menacing
- Amanda Cabrales (34) of Milwaukie, charged with distribution of a controlled substance – fentanyl
- Alfredo Perez-Rendon, (27) of Tualatin, charged with distribution of a controlled substance – fentanyl and outstanding warrants
Martinez attempted to escape from arresting troopers; however, was apprehended by members of the OSP and PPB bike teams without incident.
Oregon Health Authority and Centers for Disease Control data shows fentanyl has surpassed methamphetamine as the leading cause of overdose deaths in Oregon. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), seven out of ten pills seized by law enforcement contain a potentially fatal dose (2 mg) of fentanyl.
The Oregon State Police and Portland Police Bureau were assisted in the mission by the Linn County Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team (LINE) and the Clackamas County Interagency Task Force (CCITF).
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OSP Domestic Highway Enforcement Initiative
The Oregon State Police-Domestic Highway Enforcement (OSP-DHE) 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.
