PORTLAND, Ore.—An area drug trafficker is facing federal charges Wednesday after his supply of illicit fentanyl was linked to a fatal overdose in Portland.
Efrain Roberto Diaz-Rangel, 34, a Mexican National residing in Portland, has been charged by criminal complaint with possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin.
According to court documents, in April 2023, the Westside Interagency Narcotics Team (WIN) began investigating a suspected fentanyl overdose of an adult victim in Portland. Investigators identified multiple people involved in a distribution chain responsible for selling counterfeit Oxycodone pills manufactured with fentanyl, some of which were determined to have caused the Portland victim’s overdose death. In May 2023, WIN requested investigative assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Together, WIN and HSI obtained evidence that Diaz-Rangel was involved in the fentanyl distribution chain previously identified.
On June 27, 2023, HSI special agents arrested Diaz-Rangel. At the time of his arrest, Diaz-Rangel possessed approximately 1,000 counterfeit pills and a small quantity of heroin. Inside Diaz-Rangel’s residence, the agents located an additional 30,000 counterfeit pills, several additional pounds of heroin, and more than $10,000 in cash.
Diaz-Rangel made his first appearance in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stacie F. Beckerman. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
This case was jointly investigated by WIN and HSI with assistance from the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Interdiction Task Force (HIT) and Portland Police Bureau. It is being prosecuted by Scott M. Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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