DEA Announces Major Heroin Seizure

DEA agents say they recovered approximately 16.2 pounds of heroin.

Salem-News.com

(SEATTLE, Wash.) - The Drug Enforcement Administration made what is believed to be the second largest single seizure of heroin in Oregon history Tuesday.

Special Agent in Charge Rodney Benson says agents with the DEA, in conjunction with the arrests of several dozen persons yesterday in Eugene and elsewhere, executed an additional search and arrest warrant late yesterday leading to the heroin bust.

During the course of the investigation and while rounding up over 30 individuals who were accused of being involved in the drug trafficking network, agents obtained additional information that led to a federal search warrant for a residence in Springfield, Oregon.

Benson says law enforcement officers arrested a 23-year old man on drug charges while searching the residence late Wednesday. They report the recovery of approximately 16.2 pounds of heroin that had been secreted in the house, along with almost $8,000 in U.S. currency.

Four additional arrests were made late last night and today, resulting in a total of 34 people being taken into custody thus far. With the addition of the 16 pounds recovered last night and the 1 pound seized in two locations yesterday, a total of approximately 21 pounds of heroin have been seized to date. The investigation is ongoing and more arrests are anticipated.

Benson says the recovery of this amount of heroin only confirms that the operation was running like a well oiled machine.

"In fact a sophisticated, well run importation and distribution organization that was operating on a large scale and in large quantities in this community. By working with our state and local counterparts, we are able to take this kind of poison and these kinds of narcotics traffickers off the streets and make a substantial impact for the better in the region."

The DEA did not release the names of the people arrested.