Fourteen Defendants Indicted in Eastern Oregon Investigation

PORTLAND, OR—Kent S. Robinson, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Oregon, announced today the indictment of 14 individuals in connection with a long term investigation led by the Blue Mountain Enforcement Narcotics Team (BENT). On October 1, 2009, more than 100 law enforcements officers from local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies executed 22 search warrants and arrested ten people on federal drug charges in connection with a drug distribution organization.

Since April 2009, law enforcement officers have been investigating a methamphetamine distribution organization, and an outdoor marijuana cultivation conspiracy, both allegedly involving Carlos Joaquin Barragan. During the course of that investigation, on August 19, 2009, in Grant County, Oregon, officers seized 23,000 marijuana plants growing on United States Forest Service land, three guns including an SKS assault rifle, and arrested four individuals found living and working in the marijuana grow. The investigation culminated on October 1, 2009, with the execution of search warrants at three residences, resulting in the seizure of three more firearms, several pounds of marijuana, and marijuana seeds.

Barragan and six other individuals involved in cultivating the 23,000 marijuana plants were indicted for conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana. In addition to Barragan, the indictment charges Sergio Escalera-Garcia, 35, and Ricardo Bravo, 30, of Roosevelt, Washington. Barragan made his first appearance in court on October 2, 2009. Four other defendants were charged in separate indictments issued in September 2009: Carmen Ramirez- Romero, 21, Baldemar Garcia-Mendoza, 24, Efrain Garcia-Mendoza, 25, all of Fife, Washington, and Jose Luis Escalera-Garcia, 23, of Roosevelt, Washington. Baldemar Garcia- Mendoza, Jose Luis Escalera-Garcia and Ramirez-Romero were also indicted for possessing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.

The charge of conspiracy to manufacture more than 1000 marijuana plants carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, and a fine of $4,000,000. Possessing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of 60 months in prison.

On October 1, 2009, detectives also executed search warrants relating to a methamphetamine conspiracy allegedly led by Barragan. Detectives seized more than six ounces of methamphetamine, a dozen firearms, scales, drug paraphernalia, drug records and cell phones related to the investigation in search warrants executed at ten residences.

Barragan and seven other individuals were charged with conspiracy to distribute more than five grams of methamphetamine. Three men and two women were arraigned in federal court in Portland today on those charges: Barragan; John Knight, 63, of LaGrande, Oregon; Marietta Gallagher, 59, of Irrigon, Oregon; Matilda Williams, 49, of Hermiston, Oregon; and Rogelio Chavez, 29, of Hermiston, Oregon. Shane Soros, 42, and Guillermo Morfin Ortiz, 47, also of Hermiston, Oregon are scheduled to appear in court on Monday, October 5, 2009. Pedro Soto- Contreras, 23, of Pasco, Washington, appeared in Federal court in Yakima, Washington today.

The charge of conspiracy to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine carries a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum sentence of five (5) years' imprisonment, and a fine of $2,000,000.00.

This investigation was an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) sponsored joint effort between federal, state, and local agencies, led by the Blue Mountain Enforcement Narcotics Team (BENT), with the assistance of the Pendleton Police Department, the Oregon State Police, the Hermiston Police Department, the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office, the Umatilla Tribal Police Department, the Morrow County Sheriff’s Office, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, the Gilliam County Sheriff’s Office, the Milton Freewater Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team (CODE) , the Multi Agency Drug Enforcement Response and Interdiction Team (MERIT), the United States Forest Service, the Tri-Cities METRO Task Force, the FBI, the Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office, HIDTA Interdiction Team (HIT), Department of Human Services, Oregon Department of Justice, the United States Marshall Service, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Grant County District Attorney’s Office, the Umatilla County District Attorney’s Office and the United States Attorney’s Offices for the District of Oregon and the Eastern District of Washington.

“This case demonstrates great cooperative working relationship between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, as well as the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, the Oregon Department of Justice, and the Umatilla and Grant County District Attorneys’ Offices,” said Kent S. Robinson, Acting U. S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

All defendants pled not guilty to all charges. An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant should be presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Trial is set for December 8, 2009, before U.S. District Court Judge Robert E. Jones.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer J. Martin and Suzanne Bratis.