The head of a drug trafficking cell was sentenced to federal prison four years after federal and local law enforcement officials made the biggest methamphetamine raid in Oregon history.
The U.S. attorney’s office in Oregon announced Tuesday that 51-year-old Martin Manzo Negrete was found guilty of carrying 384 pounds of methamphetamine and was given a sentence of 180 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release. Over $1 million was the estimated value of the meth. Negrete, a Mexican national, had been living in Lane County illegally.
According to court records, Manzo Negrete’s cell was involved in the trafficking of substantial quantities of methamphetamine from Southern California to Oregon for distribution and sale in and around Lane County when police authorities started looking into it in October 2020.
Authorities discovered during the inquiry that Manzo Negrete had a lengthy history of drug trafficking and had served 14 years in federal prison. He supplied street-level dealers with several pounds of methamphetamine each week. The cell’s commander, Manzo Negrete, was in charge of organizing the drug’s distribution, storage, and receipt throughout the county.
As part of a concerted effort, police officials carried out federal search warrants at several locations in Lane County on September 15, 2021, including a storage unit that held 384 pounds of methamphetamine. In addition, authorities recovered about $76,000 in cash and 14 guns, some of which were stolen.
Four associates including Manzo Negrete were taken into custody; a fifth associate was taken into custody afterwards.
16 days later, the six individuals were charged with conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute in a criminal complaint.
Manzo Negrete admitted to conspiring to possess methamphetamine with the purpose to distribute it on March 5.
According to the U.S. attorney’s office, the other five also entered guilty pleas and received federal prison sentences.
The Springfield Police Department, Eugene Police Department, and Linn Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team collaborated with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to investigate the case. Assistant U.S. attorneys William M. McLaren and Nicholas D. Meyers of the District of Oregon prosecuted it.
