Police Discovery 1.4 Metric Tons of Liquid Heroin in Oregon Truck

Beaverton, Oregon– In a significant development, four individuals with apparent connections to a Mexico-based transnational criminal organization are now facing federal charges related to drug trafficking. Marco Antonio Magallon, 44; Luis Deleon Woodward, 26; Jorge Luis Amador, 25, all residents of Yakima, Washington, and Santos Alisael Aguilar Maya, 32, whose place of residence remains undisclosed, have been charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess heroin with intent to distribute.

The charges stem from a joint effort by law enforcement agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Washington County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO), and the Westside Interagency Narcotics Team (WIN). According to court documents, this operation unfolded as part of an ongoing, multi-agency drug trafficking investigation.

On January 24, 2024, investigators received intelligence suggesting that individuals associated with a transnational criminal organization were transporting a substantial quantity of illegal narcotics into the District of Oregon. Surveillance teams observed a rented moving truck, driven by Jorge Luis Amador, and an accompanying red pickup truck traveling west on Interstate 84 near Bonneville, Oregon, during the late evening of January 24 and early morning hours of January 25, 2024.

The vehicles were tracked to a motel in Tigard, Oregon, with a brief stop in a commercial parking lot in Beaverton, Oregon. On January 25, federal search warrants were executed on the defendants’ motel room and the two vehicles. Inside the moving truck, investigators discovered eight 55-gallon barrels containing approximately 370 gallons of liquid narcotic, later confirmed to be heroin through lab tests. Additionally, two loaded handguns were found in the motel room.

All four suspects were arrested without incident, and the seized narcotics, weighing approximately 1.4 metric tons, were transported to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office narcotics room. The investigation was a collaborative effort involving various agencies within the Washington County, Oregon-based High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) task force, WIN, which includes members from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Beaverton and Hillsboro Police Departments, Oregon National Guard Counter Drug Program, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), FBI, and HSI.

Scott M. Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, is spearheading the prosecution of this case.