Major Portland drug trafficker gets 8+ years in federal prison

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) —  A major drug trafficker in Oregon responsible for bringing illicit substances like methamphetamine and fentanyl into the Portland metro area was sentenced in federal court Tuesday. 

The 31-year-old Luis Angel Rivera-Huezo, of Hillsboro, was handed a 100-month federal prison sentence followed by five years supervised release, the Department of Justice announced.

According to court documents, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration officials determined through a lengthy investigation that Rivera-Huezo was “the regional cell leader of an international and interstate drug trafficking organization based in Mexico,” the release said.

Many large quantities of illicit substances and guns connected to Rivera-Huezo’s network were seized by investigators by early November. That includes 125 pounds of meth, six pounds of fentanyl, six pounds of heroin, smaller quantities of cocaine, and nine firearms, authorities said.

The confiscated guns and drugs were the culmination of a monthslong investigation by DEA agents working alongside other law enforcement agencies. Officials documented multiple instances of Rivera-Huezo and his co-conspirators transporting drugs from places such as Mexico, California, and Washington Stato into Portland to be resold for distribution. 

Back in June, a federal grand jury in Portland accused Rivera-Huezo and 10 others of possession with distributing controlled substances and other drug-trafficking charges. Later that month, River-Huezo pleaded guilty to the charges.