Federal prosecutors have charged six people after a multi‑agency probe into a methamphetamine and cocaine distribution network that investigators say was run out of Forest Grove and pushed drugs into Bend and other parts of the Portland area. Authorities report that traffic stops and search warrants turned up multi‑pound shipments of meth and several kilograms of cocaine, and allege the operation relied on a supplier, couriers, and retail‑level distributors to move product across the region.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon, the people charged by a second superseding information on April 29, 2026, are Rafael Mora Contreras, 45, and Cristina Echeverria, 42, both of Forest Grove; Mariano Perez‑Sanchez, 42, also of Forest Grove; Dagoberto Ayala‑Lopez, 38, of Hillsboro; and Bend residents Nathalie Claire Buchanan, 28, and Charles Ottis Johnson, 37. Prosecutors say the counts include conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, distribution of methamphetamine and cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute those drugs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lewis Burkhart is prosecuting the case, the office said.
How Authorities Say The Ring Operated
Investigators allege Perez‑Sanchez acted as a “dispatcher,” fielding orders from street‑level distributors, while Johnson and Buchanan routinely bought large amounts of meth in the Portland and Salem areas to resell in Bend. Prosecutors say Echeverria functioned as a courier and delivered a large quantity of methamphetamine to Buchanan at a hotel on Feb. 11, 2026, and that officers later found more than four pounds of meth in Buchanan and Johnson’s vehicle. Those details were first reported by KPTV.
What Officers Say They Found During Stops And Searches
On Feb. 17, Oregon State Police troopers stopped Echeverria and Rafael Mora Contreras after what authorities describe as an overnight trip to California and reportedly discovered about 28 pounds of methamphetamine and roughly 6 kilograms of cocaine in Echeverria’s car. Investigators also searched Ayala‑Lopez’s vehicles and residence and located more than 2 kilograms of methamphetamine, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Investigative Partners And Prosecution
The probe began in July 2025 and was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Portland district with assistance from Oregon State Police and the Clackamas County Interagency Task Force, authorities said. Officials say the case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative and is being prosecuted in the District of Oregon by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lewis Burkhart, according to a DEA press release.
What’s Next For The Case
Authorities say the investigation remains active, and additional actions are possible as agents follow leads. Court records show the charged defendants were named in a second superseding information filed April 29, 2026; prosecutors and local outlets have said few additional details were released while the probe continues, and the investigation is ongoing, according to KPTV. A criminal complaint is an allegation, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
