On July 24th, 2023, the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office Street Crime Unit (SCU) wrapped up a short-term investigation into fentanyl distribution in Central Oregon with the arrest of Jose Miguel Gomez, the third such narcotics investigation that resulted in his arrest by narcotics detectives in less than one year.
Gomez had been part of a narcotics investigation focusing on commercial quantities of fentanyl and counterfeit fentanyl pills being sourced from the Portland area and distributed within Central Oregon. In mid-June Detectives with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office attempted to contact Gomez as part of their investigation however, Gomez fled a traffic stop in his vehicle and later fled on foot. Gomez evaded capture on this occasion but Street Crimes Unit Detectives applied for and were granted a search warrant into the vehicle Gomez had been traveling in.
The result of the search yielded over six thousand fentanyl pills along with nearly a half-pound of powdered fentanyl. These items were packaged for transport and hidden within the vehicle along with other indicators of commercial drug sales. Detectives learned Gomez was part of a fentanyl distribution network operating in Deschutes County and being sourced by a Honduran Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) from the Portland Metro area.
Gomez utilized a network of drug runners that were centralized within the Hunnell Road area of Bend. The drug runners would complete transactions throughout Deschutes County and later return the proceeds to Gomez who would, in turn, utilize his connection with the DTO to purchase larger commercial quantities of fentanyl.
After the initial illicit drug seizure by detective, Gomez fled the Deschutes County area for several weeks. Utilizing various investigative techniques, SCU detectives located Gomez, upon his return to the area, arresting him and a second male, Henry Oswaldo Duran, after a short foot pursuit. Gomez was in possession of powdered fentanyl and suspected methamphetamine during his arrest.
The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement (CODE) team and the City of Bend Police Department for their assistance in this investigation.
