News Release [print friendly page]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 2, 2007
Contact: Steve Hooten
206 553-1155

Jury Returns Guilty Verdict in Heroin Smuggling Conspiracy Case
Eight Defendants Convicted in Oregon-Based Drug Conspiracy Case Involving Heroin with Street Value in Excess of One Million Dollars

JUL 2 -- (PORTLAND) – DEA Special Agent in Charge Arnold R. Moorin announced today the conviction of eight defendants in a drug conspiracy case arising from the importation of 21 pounds of heroin by an Oregon based drug trafficking network.

On June 27, 2007, a federal jury in the court of U.S. District Court Judge Michael W. Mosman returned a verdict of guilty in a drug conspiracy case against Fidencio Bautista Ramos, age 44. The case involved a drug ring of illegal aliens based in Oregon who utilized U.S. citizens to smuggle shipments of drugs, including cocaine and heroin, across the border from Mexico. The conspiracy indictment named Ramos and seven co-defendants.

The case broke open in May of 2006 when two Oregon women, Kathy Ann Martinez, age 30, and her mother Sydney Ann Young, age 52, both residents of Portland, were caught at the San Ysidro Port of Entry with heroin concealed in the backseat of a vehicle. Ultimately, six additional defendants were arrested in California and Oregon and indicted in the conspiracy as the result of a multi-state and inter-agency investigation.

“The seizure of 21 pounds of heroin is the largest single seizure of heroin in Oregon” commented Mr. Moorin. “Protecting our neighborhoods, communities, and states from the dangers and violence associated with this type of organized drug trafficking crime is an immediate priority for the Drug Enforcement Administration and our other Federal, State, and local partners.”

Five defendants have pled guilty to the conspiracy charge including: Rafael Montes Pinatado, age 21; Maria Silvia Stewart, age 44; Oscar Vanderas Carillo, age 24; and Kathy Martinez. The two remaining defendants, Pedro Infante Garcia, age 24, and Salvador Rodriguez Delgado, age 33, plead guilty to drug distribution charges related to the conspiracy.

Ramos, Pintado, and Martinez are scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Mosman on September 10, 2007. Oscar Vanderas Carillo’s sentencing is scheduled for July 11, 2007. Stewart will be sentenced on July 23, 2007. Judge Mosman sentenced Garcia to five years in prison on April 30, 2007. Delgado’s sentencing is scheduled for July 23, 2007, and Young will be sentenced on July 31, 2007.

Other departments and agencies participating in the investigation included U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and the Portland Police Bureau.