PORTLAND, Ore.-A San Jose, California man is facing federal drug trafficking charges after he arranged the sale of approximately 80,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and 66 pounds of methamphetamine.
Oscar Manuel Rosas Gaona, 20, has been charged by criminal complaint with conspiring to possess and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.
According to court documents, in April 2023, special agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arranged to purchase 10,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl for 70 cents per pill. On April 14, 2023, the agents, working in partnership with the Clackamas County Interagency Task Force (CCITF), completed the arranged purchase with Rosas.
As the investigation continued, a second purchase from Rosas was organized and, on April 27, 2023, agents obtained an additional 70,000 fentanyl pills. The next day, on April 28, 2023, Rosas began arranging the delivery and sale of 65 pounds of methamphetamine. By May 4, 2023, the methamphetamine had arrived in Oregon and was seized by law enforcement. Rosas was taken into custody the same day.
Rosas made his initial appearance in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Armistead. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
This case was investigated by HSI and CCITF. It is being prosecuted by Scott M. Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
CCITF, led by the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, works to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations operating in Clackamas County, and reduce illegal drugs and related crimes throughout the community. The task force is comprised of members of the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, Canby Police Department, Oregon State Police, HSI, and FBI.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys