Federal and local law enforcement agencies arrested 46 Honduran nationals on drug trafficking charges in Portland, Oregon, following an extensive joint operation to disrupt open-air drug markets in Multnomah County. Authorities seized an array of illicit drugs, firearms, and cash. The Honduran nationals were reportedly working on behalf of the Mexican Sinaloa Drug Cartel, a designated foreign terror group, according to a press release.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Seattle Field Division said that the apprehended “Honduran drug traffickers” flooded the Portland area with “deadly fentanyl and other drugs.” The enforcement operation that netted 46 arrests occurred in the first four months of 2025.
An enforcement surge in Portland targets Honduran nationals trafficking fentanyl in open-air drug markets. @DEAHQ @PPBPIO @MultCoSO @FBIPortland @USAO_OR
>>https://t.co/9nwV0wy12v pic.twitter.com/riPn1Xlmxg— DEASeattle (@DEASEATTLEDiv) April 22, 2025
In total, authorities seized 44 pounds of fentanyl powder; 2,507 fentanyl pills; 22 pounds of methamphetamine; nine pounds of cocaine; two pounds of heroin; 20 firearms; and $204,007 in cash, according to the DEA.
“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 David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division.
“I am proud that DEA could help our partners bring this surge to a successful conclusion, saving lives here in Portland and throughout Oregon.”
According to the DEA, nearly 70 percent of all drug poisonings and overdose deaths involve fentanyl, and just two milligrams of fentanyl is considered a potentially deadly overdose.
Portland, a self-declared sanctuary city for illegal immigrants, is among the highest in the nation for fentanyl overdose deaths, as stated in a 2024 CDC report.
The operation comes after the state of Oregon re-criminalized illicit drug possession last year following a failed 2020 drug decriminalization ballot measure that resulted in an increase in overdose deaths and open-air drug use on city streets, according to data.
“Fentanyl has no place in our city,” said Portland Police Chief Bob Day. “Our partnership with local, state, and federal agencies makes our collective response stronger. This operation was a success, but it is only one step in a larger, sustained effort to keep Portland safe.”
The joint operation was conducted by the DEA Portland District Office, the Portland Police Bureau, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the US Attorney’s Office, and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program.
