The Oregon State Police and Portland Police Bureau were instrumental in an investigation that led to the exposure and dissolution of a major drug trafficking ring operating out of Washington state.
The case came under the spotlight yesterday when the leader of the drug trafficking ring, 25-year-old Hector Duran Aldaco, was sentenced to 130 months in federal prison by a federal judge in Washington state. Aldaco pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and the use of a firearm in a drug trafficking crime.
A Staggering Quantity of Controlled Substances
Before passing sentence, U.S. District Judge Kymberly K. Evanson referred to the 85 kilograms of methamphetamine, 30 kilograms of fentanyl, and 2.5 kilograms of cocaine trafficked by the gang as a ‘staggering quantity of controlled substances.’
Investigations into the drug trafficking ring began in December 2022 after Aldaco was identified as a large-scale fentanyl distributor. Using physical and electronic surveillance, agents determined that Aldaco was supplied by a Mexican drug trafficking organization (DTO)…