An Oregon man, Efrain Roberto Diaz-Rangel, involved in the fatal fentanyl overdose of a Washington County resident, has been sentenced to over seven years in federal prison, as per the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Diaz-Rangel, 35, received an 87-month prison term followed by four years of supervised release for his role in distributing counterfeit Oxycodone pills containing the lethal synthetic opioid.
The investigation, which unfolded after a young man's life was claimed by the drug in April 2023, was a coordinated effort involving multiple agencies, including the Westside Interagency Narcotics Team, Homeland Security Investigations, and the HIDTA Interdiction Task Force, with the Portland Police Bureau rendering assistance. Through this collective action, it was concluded that Diaz-Rangel played a key part in a supply chain originating from a Mexico-based drug distributor. In a sting operation on June 27, 2023, he was arrested with a substantial number of pills on his person, which led to a raid where law enforcement officials found an alarming number of counterfeit pills in his home, along with heroin and cash.
Diaz-Rangel ultimately pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl in March 2025, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott M. Kerin handling the prosecution as part of a fight against an escalating overdose crisis tied to the synthetic opioid, fentanyl, which is markedly more powerful than heroin and morphine with just a few grains capable of being lethal.
In Oregon, the scourge of fentanyl—which can be up to 100 times stronger than morphine—has led to a concerning rise in overdose cases. Fentanyl’s deadly potency lies in the fact that as little as a 3-milligram dose, nearly imperceptible to the eye, can take a life with swift finality, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
