Major PNW drug case ends with nearly 13-year federal prison sentence

A 61-year-old Oregon man has been sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for his role in a large-scale methamphetamine distribution operation that stretched across state lines.

Ricardo Rodriguez, of Ontario, Oregon, received a 13-year prison sentence after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Rodriguez was said to be a key member of a drug trafficking network supplying meth to drug dealers in Idaho. Investigators said that he was responsible for moving approximately 20 pounds of methamphetamine each week.

On January 24, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Rodriguez’s home, uncovering a .40-caliber firearm, thousands of dollars in cash, hundreds of fentanyl pills, and an additional ounce of methamphetamine.

“Methamphetamine traffickers like Mr. Rodriguez profit from the pain they cause selling poison to our neighbors,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Seattle Field Division. “I am gratified that the DEA and our partners were able to stop the threat he posed to our communities and that he received this richly deserved accountability.”

U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also sentenced Rodriguez to five years of supervised release following his prison term.

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Investigation and case came out of collaboration between agencies

U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit emphasized the importance of collaboration between law enforcement agencies in disrupting drug trafficking operations.

“This is another example of our law enforcement partners working together to ensure that drug traffickers are held accountable for distributing controlled substances in our communities,” Hurwit said in a press release. “Traffickers will not evade prosecution for dealing drugs here in Idaho simply because they live across state lines.”

The case was investigated as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces operation, which focuses on dismantling high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, and transnational criminal organizations.

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