370 gallons of liquid heroin seized in Oregon, 4 arrested in 'transnational' investigation
Four suspected drug traffickers are facing federal charges after they were caught transporting nearly 370 gallons of liquid heroin in Oregon.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Oregon, four men with apparent ties to a Mexico-based "transnational criminal organization" were arrested last month as part of an "ongoing, multi-agency drug trafficking investigation."
Marco Antonio Magallon, 44; Luis Deleon Woodward, 26; and Jorge Luis Amador, 25, all of Yakima, Washington, and Santos Alisael Aguilar Maya, 32, whose place of residence is unknown, were arrested without incident on Jan. 25, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The news release from the attorney's office says that on Jan. 24, law enforcement obtained information that several individuals were transporting a "large load of illegal narcotics into the District of Oregon."
"Late in the evening of Jan. 24 and in the early morning hours of Jan. 25, investigators observed a rented moving truck driven by Amador and an accompanying red pickup truck traveling west on Interstate 84 near Bonneville, Oregon," the news release said.
1.4 metric tons of heroin
Investigators observed the vehicles travel together to a motel in Tigard, Oregon, making one stop in a commercial parking lot in Beaverton, according to authorities.
Authorities executed federal search warrants on the defendants' motel room and two vehicles and located and seized eight 55-gallon barrels containing about 370 gallons of a "liquid narcotic" inside the moving truck and two loaded handguns inside the motel room.
"Investigators transported the seized narcotic, which weighed approximately 1.4 metric tons, to the Washington County Sheriff's Office narcotics room. Lab tests later confirmed the barrels contained liquid heroin," the news release said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Oregon liquid heroin bust leads to 370 gallons seized, 4 arrests
