PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A Washington man is facing federal drug trafficking charges after authorities say he was pulled over in Salem with 11.5 pounds of fentanyl and other drugs.
Just before 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, an Oregon State trooper pulled over a vehicle for a traffic violation northbound on Interstate 5 near Market Street in Salem, according to Oregon State Police.
Officials said the trooper saw “several signs of criminal activity” and asked the driver if there were any drugs in the vehicle. The driver, identified as 34-year-old Edilio Giron-Rodas told the trooper there was a small amount of cocaine in the center console, authorities said.
Authorities said they found about 11.5 pounds of powder fentanyl, four pounds of meth and 1,000 suspected fentanyl pills in shopping bags in the backseat, along with cocaine. In a press release, the Oregon Department of Justice said the pills were counterfeit oxycodone.
“To put this into perspective, 11.5 pounds of powder Fentanyl would provide roughly 3.5 million lethal doses of Fentanyl to the Portland Metro Area – which has a population of approximately 1.8 million people,” Oregon State Police said in a press release – noting the colored fentanyl powder can make the substance more appealing to youth.
Giron-Rodas was taken into federal custody and charged by criminal complaint with possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.
He made his first court appearance in federal court on Friday and was detained pending further court proceedings.
The passenger, who has not been identified, was lodged at the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center on drug related charges.