Three men face federal drug trafficking charges after a year-long investigation, drug seizures across Central Oregon
KTVZ
(Update: adding video)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Three men have been indicted on felony drug trafficking charges after a year-long investigation by the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team and federal Drug Enforcement Administration, authorities said Thursday.
Several narcotics units around the region helped iin the investigation that led to the Oct. 16 federal indictment of Andres Garcia-Mendoza, Julio Duran Vargas and Brett Mitchell Miller, Lt. Mike Landolt said in a news release.
The three men are all charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, Landolt said.
The case, which began in the summer of 2024, wrapped up last spring. It led to the seizure of more than 71 pounds of methamphetamine, more than five pounds of cocaine and more than two pounds of fentanyl across two states, along with the seizure of 16 guns.
Landolt said all ofl the weapons and most of the drugs were seized in the Central Oregon region. But beyond that, he said, specific dates, times and locations of the seizures won’t be released.
Garcia-Mendoza, who is believed to live in Mexico, previously was convicted of federal narcotics offenses in 2013, and is alleged to be the leader of the current drug ring, the lieutenant said.
The Central Oregon Drug Enforcement (CODE) team is a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program and the following Central Oregon law enforcement agencies: the Bend Police Department, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, Redmond Police Department, Prineville Police Department, Crook County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Madras Police Department, Oregon State Police, Sunriver Police Department, Black Butte Police Department, United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Warm Springs Tribal Police Department, Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson County District Attorney’s, and the Oregon National Guard.
The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counter-drug grant program that coordinates and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement task forces to disrupt or dismantle local, multi-state and international drug trafficking organizations.