By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – A Chehalis resident was among 17 people arrested yesterday in a multi-agency law enforcement operation targeting suspects associated with drug trafficking tied to a cartel in Michoacan, Mexico, according to authorities.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon unsealed a nine count indictment charging 22 individuals allegedly responsible for trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine in Oregon and Washington.
Randall Deal Mauel, 47, of Chehalis is charged with conspiracy, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
According to the indictment, a drug cartel based in Michoacan, Mexico distributed methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine to Victor Alvarez Farfan, 43, of Oregon City, Oregon. Farfan and his associates allegedly manufactured crystal methamphetamine from liquid form and distributed it to other members of the conspiracy for sale in Hillsboro, Gresham, Portland and Hood River, in Oregon, and Tacoma, Washington.
“Stopping these transnational organizations requires steadfast and responsive law enforcement partnerships at all levels of government,” Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon stated in the press release. “Today, thanks to the vigilance and sustained cooperation of law enforcement agencies across Oregon, this cartel’s efforts to maintain their foothold in our communities has been dealt a lasting blow.”
Among the agencies involved in the early morning arrests were the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations, as well as regional task forces and numerous sheriff’s offices and police departments in Oregon.
The indictment alleges members of the organization conspired to possess with the intent to distribute and distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine; use a communication facility, including cellular telephones, in the commission of a controlled substances felony; and maintain drug-involved premises to manufacture and distribute controlled substances. Other charges include the interstate distribution of drug proceeds and money laundering.
Mauel was sentenced in 2014 in Lewis County Superior Court following a plea agreement that would send him to prison for a year and a day for drug possession. A raid that took place on Dec. 9, 2013 at the 2500 block of Jackson Highway allegedly turned up a one-gallon freezer bag nearly filled with chards of meth and more than $11,000 worth of heroin, but an issue with the search warrant meant the drugs were not available to be used as evidence.
The rest of the 17 named defendants in the new case are from cities in Oregon including Gresham, Salem, Hillsboro, Portland, Astoria. One person charged is from Vancouver, Washington.
The identities of the five remaining defendants remain under seal. All defendants are expected to make their first appearances within one week, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter