Gresham Residents Charged With Fentanyl Trafficking Conspiracy

For trafficking hundreds of thousands of fake fentanyl pills and many pounds of powdered fentanyl from California to Portland, two Honduran nationals currently residing in Gresham, Oregon have been indicted in federal court.

Conspiracy to distribute and possess with purpose to distribute fentanyl, as well as possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, has been filed against Kevin Martinez-Avila, 27, and Allen Moya-Vargas, 29.

The Westside Interagency Narcotics Team (WIN) learned in February 2023 that a narcotics courier from California was delivering a significant shipment of fentanyl to an area near Portland, Oregon, according to court filings, as per the provided data.

The Oregon affiliate of FOX 12 News tweeted, “Gresham residents charged with fentanyl trafficking conspiracy.”

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The U.S. Attorney’s Office has indicted two Honduran nationals living in Gresham on charges of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. https://t.co/fs0fQBC26Z pic.twitter.com/aX2Qaj423o

— FOX 12 Oregon (@fox12oregon) May 19, 2023

WIN agents tracked down the courier’s car on February 22nd, 2023, and followed it to a house in Gresham. Martinez-Avila was seen leaving the house in a vehicle by investigators shortly afterward. A state search warrant was used to search his car, which turned up 47 grams of powdered fentanyl.

Investigators found Moya-Vargas, 150,000 fentanyl-laced fake oxycodone pills, and over seven pounds of powdered fentanyl inside the Gresham apartment. According to the investigation, the residence was utilized by the drug trafficking enterprise run by Martinez-Avila and Moya-Vargas to unload and store fentanyl imported to the Portland area.

Today was both men’s first day in federal court, and they appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jolie A. Russo. They were formally charged, entered not-guilty pleas, and were ordered to remain in custody until their June 27, 2023 jury trial.

Both Martinez-Avila and Moya-Vargas face life in federal prison if they are found guilty, with a 10-year mandatory minimum.

WIN looked into this matter. Scott M. Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, is in charge of the prosecution.

You can learn more about other events in Oregon by reading:

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Indictments are merely accusations, and defendants enjoy the presumption of innocence until they are found guilty in a court of law.

Members of the Oregon National Guard Counter Drug Program, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and Homeland Security Investigations are all part of WIN, along with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Beaverton Police Department, and the Hillsboro Police Department.