Multi-Agency Operation Targets Fentanyl Dealer in Grants Pass

Grants Pass, Oregon- A multi-agency drug operation led to the arrest of a suspected fentanyl dealer and the seizure of illegal firearms Friday morning near Grants Pass, law enforcement officials said.

At approximately 9:30 a.m., the Grants Pass Police Department, along with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Rogue Area Drug Enforcement Team (RADE), U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Central Point Police Department, and Jackson County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at a residence on Lower River Road, just outside the city limits.

Authorities recovered more than half a pound of fentanyl, numerous firearms, and a 3-D printer believed to have been used to manufacture untraceable “ghost guns.” The Oregon State Police Bomb Squad was called to the scene after suspicious devices were discovered, and rendered them safe.

Christopher Smith, 38, who was residing in a trailer on his parents’ property, was arrested and booked into the Josephine County Jail on state charges of delivery and possession of fentanyl. Federal firearms charges are also pending.

The operation was part of an ongoing, intelligence-driven effort to disrupt fentanyl distribution networks across Southern Oregon, officials said.

RADE is a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. The task force includes members from the Grants Pass Police Department, Oregon State Police, Josephine County Community Corrections, and the Josephine County District Attorney’s Office.

The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is funded through the Office of National Drug Control Policy and supports multi-agency efforts to combat drug trafficking across the region.