2 men indicted for trafficking fentanyl in Gresham

PORTLAND, Ore. (KPTV) - Two men living in Gresham have been indicted in federal court for trafficking fentanyl and counterfeit prescription pills.

The U.S. Attorney’s office in Oregon said the two Honduran nationals transported hundreds of thousands of counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl and several pounds of powdered fentanyl from California to Portland for resale. Prosecutors charged 27-year-old Kevin Martinez-Avila and 29-year-old Allen Moya-Vargas with conspiring with one another and others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl.

In February investigators with the Westside Interagency Narcotics Team learned a drug courier from California was bringing a large amount of fentanyl to the Portland area, according to court documents. The investigators found the courier’s vehicle and followed it to a Gresham residence. They saw Martinez-Avila drive away from the residence, stopped his vehicle and found 47 grams of powdered fentanyl.

Investigators found hundreds of thousands of counterfeit pills and powdered fentanyl in a... — Investigators found hundreds of thousands of counterfeit pills and powdered fentanyl in a Gresham residence.(U.S. Attorney's Office)

When investigators went inside the residence, they found Moya-Vargas, 150,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and more than seven pounds of powdered fentanyl. They believe the residence was being used to unload and store fentanyl brought to the Portland area before it was distributed to others.

The two men made an appearance in court on Friday. They were arraigned, pleaded not guilty and ordered detained pending a jury trial scheduled to begin on June 27. If convicted, they face maximum sentences of life in federal prison with 10-year mandatory minimum sentences.