| On Wednesday, March 8, 2006, members of the Portland Police Bureau Drugs and Vice Division (DVD), in cooperation with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in both Portland and Los Angeles, the Westside Interagency Narcotics Team (WIN), Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Los Angeles Sheriffs Office, Los Angeles Police Department, Costa Mesa Police Department, Kings County Sheriffs Office, Kings County Narcotics Task Force, and the Oregon Department of Justice, culminated a six month investigation into a drug trafficking organization that spanned the West Coast.
Throughout the day, investigators executed search warrants and received consent to search several locations in Portland and Los Angeles seizing more than 15 pounds of cocaine, over $60,000, three firearms, and one car. Investigators arrested two suspects in Southern California as they were transporting a large quantity of cocaine back to Oregon. The suspects, 24-year-old Benny Covarrubias and 22-year-old Patrick James Apodaca are currently in custody in California.
Investigators believe the suspects were distributing large quantities of cocaine in the Portland Metropolitan Area and then laundering the proceeds of the sales through a Portland Area nightclub.
Assistant Chief of Investigation James Ferraris credits the cooperation between federal, state, and local jurisdiction as key to the successful completion of this investigation. "Without the seamless cooperation with our law enforcement partners we may never have successfully culminated this investigation," stated Chief Ferraris.
This investigation is continuing. |
Government 
View Item