May, 2024 6:30 a.m.
Four Oregon State Police traffic stops along Interstate 5 have yielded significant drug seizures this month.
An OSP release said troopers seized fentanyl, methamphetamine, PCP, and other illegal drugs bound for Oregon streets. The targeted operations are a collaboration among Oregon State Police patrol, K-9, HIDTA Investigation Team, and Criminal Apprehension through Patrol Enforcement programs.
Captain Kyle Kennedy said, “Oregon State Police is working to stop the flow of illegal drugs to our communities”. Kennedy said, “Fentanyl continues to have devastating effects on Oregon’s communities, and we hope the constant pressure will deter and prevent the transportation of illegal drugs to and through our state”.
In Douglas County, on Tuesday at 8:40 a.m. a trooper stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation on Interstate 5 northbound at Rice Hill. The trooper contacted the vehicle’s occupants and noticed signs of criminal activity. The driver and a passenger fled from the vehicle on foot. The trooper caught and detained both suspects a short distance from the vehicle.
A K-9 was deployed around the outside of the vehicle and alerted to the presence of illegal substances. A search warrant was granted, and 42,000 suspected fentanyl-laced pills and approximately 8 pounds of fentanyl powder were found inside the vehicle.
The driver, 25-year-old Lauro Parra Moreno of Pittsburgh, California was charged with attempting to elude police on foot, first-degree delivery of a controlled substance, second-degree possession of a controlled substance and second-degree criminal trespass. The passenger, 20-year-old Jesus Acosta Parra, also of Pittsburgh, was charged with attempting to elude police on foot, and for second-degree counts of possession and delivery of a controlled substance and criminal trespass. Both were detained on $500,000 bail. The investigation is ongoing.
Two stops in Linn County, and one in Marion County between May 8th and Thursday have resulted in the seizure of:
*10,000 pills suspected to be laced with fentanyl
*4.6 pounds of fentanyl
*1 pound of PCP
*84 grams of suspected methamphetamine
*14.2 grams of cocaine
*136 grams of fentanyl
Four people were jailed on a variety of charges from the other cases.