Klamath County, Ore. – A man accused of drug trafficking is facing federal charges after he was caught by Oregon law enforcement on November 8th. Police say the suspect was transporting more than 100 pounds of fentanyl. It happened on Highway 97 near Collier Memorial when 20-year-old Jothan Paul Barrios-Chable from Portland was stopped after his vehicle was seen going 10 miles over the speed limit. Police had also received a report that a car would be crossing Oregon transporting a large amount of fentanyl With the help of a police dog, State Park police found about 127 pounds of fentanyl, including packaging, in powder and pill form as well as a pistol in the car.
Oregon U.S. Attorney’s Office says it was among the largest seizures of fentanyl in Oregon history. Barrios-Chable, a Mexican citizen who was charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, said that he gets paid about $5,000 to $6,000 per trip to deliver narcotics and that he lives out of hotels in the Portland area. According to court records, he tried to enter the United States illegally in August and returned to Mexico voluntarily.
