Police raids lead to 29 arrests, seize scores of drugs and guns
PENDLETON, Ore. -- Over a hundred officers seized copious amounts of drugs and firearms and arrested 29 people early Thursday morning as a part of a multi-agency raid on a drug trafficking organization, Pendleton police said.
Officers with federal, state and local law enforcement made the move after a year-long investigation, according to Pendleton Police Chief Stuart Roberts.
The team had 27 search warrants for residences, vehicles and a storage locker at locations throughout Oregon and southeast Washington. Roberts said their goal was to disable the Drug Trafficking Organization, and arrest several suspects with outstanding warrants related to the investigation.
The multi-agency investigation is ongoing and the names of those arrested will be released Monday to prevent any impact to the ongoing operation, police said.
The trafficking organization was operating in Umatilla, Morrow and Union counties, as well as southeast Washington and southern Oregon.
As of 1 p.m. Thursday, police seized the following related to this investigation:
- 6.5 lbs of methamphetamine
- 1/2 ounce heroin
- Nearly 800 prescription medication pills
- 23 pounds of processed marijuana
- Approximately 200 marijuana plants
- Four indoor marijuana grow sites
- Eleven handguns and one silencer
- Ten long barrel firearms, including 1 assault rifle and 1 shotgun
Law enforcement and other agencies involved in the investigation and today's operation include:
- Blue Mountain Enforcement Narcotics Team
- Pendleton Police Department
- Umatilla Police Department
- Hermiston Police Department
- Umatilla County Sheriff's Office
- Morrow County Sheriff's Office
- Union County Sheriff's Office
- Milton-Freewater Police Department
- Umatilla Tribal Police Department
- Oregon State Police Drug Enforcement Section, Criminal Investigation Division, Patrol Services Division, Fish & Wildlife Division, SWAT, and Evidence Technician
- Tri-Cities Metro
- High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Team
- Drug Enforcement Administration
- US Marshals
- Immigration & Customs Enforcement
- Central Oregon Drug Enforcement (CODE)
- Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team (INET)
- Union/Wallowa Drug Task Force
- Baker County Narcotics Enforcement Team
- Umatilla County District Attorney's Office
- US Attorney's Office, Oregon and Eastern District of Washington
- Oregon Department of Justice
- Department of Human Services
Photographs are courtesy of the Oregon State Police.
Apparently most " patients " at the local Pot Dispensary are Low Income which means Taxpayer Support for their Buzz. Medication that works for MILLIONS doesn't work for them ?Â
And in the end, the govt. didn't even break even.
What a waste of time and public resources.
So, Essentially, they got nothing, what a lame raid, the average dope grower in Douglas county has more pills, pot, meth. Only 200 pot plants, amateurs, and 21 firearms, hardly an arsenal, one assault rifle, please, everyone I know owns more firearms individually, what was this a church group or something? this has to be the poorest Drug trafficking ring ever. My Uncle use to make meth in the Eagle Point area, the Cops use to bring him in every 8 to 10 months to get his sales list, he kept track of who bought from him, he would give the cops his list and they would turn him loose, they would bust everyone on the list who bought more than a gram under RICO, take their bank accounts, homes, cars, Pete was just a revenue stream for the Medford area cops and they took care of him. When I got the call that he had died, I only asked one question, "Was it natural causes?"Â
All those agencies for 23 warrents comon really!! and 23 different agencies helped pull it off ......OK=(
Don't worry folks still plenty of drugs out there for all. No drug problem here in Oregon. What was accomplished? A big waste of tax money and use of 23 government agencies. The "criminals" will be out of jail with a slap on the wrist in a week. Glad no one was shot.
 What is processed marijuana anyways? The leaves are cut off and dried? Watched a florist do the same thing last mothers day to roses.
 End prohibition now!
You are welcome to smoke all the Pot you want...but not at Taxpayer Expense. Low Income Pot Dispensary " Patients" are a Big Waste of Taxpayer $$$ & should not be Tolerated. Medications that work for MILLIONS doesn't work for them ? Bull !
 @givupongod Not sure about the meth tho...that is one of the nastiest drugs to run rampant on this earth. They are selfish, thieving nasty people! And they run it over into other peoples lives, cuz they don't sleep and want what non users and hard working people have!Â
@givupongod If we legalize, a lot of union government employees will be out of work. Like that's ever going to happen...
You mean these criminals had guns?? Did they not get the memo about the guns for cash program?