Traffic Stop Near Salem Leads Oregon State Police to Major Drug Bust that Removes Millions of Lethal Doses of Fentanyl from the Streets

SALEM, OR - A traffic stop in Marion County, Oregon Thursday morning ultimately led to millions of lethal doses of fentanyl being removed from the streets. 

An Oregon State Trooper conducted the stop for a traffic violation on Interstate 5 just north of Market St in Salem, OR at approximately 9:44 a.m. on April 27. 

According to a press release from the Oregon State Police (OSP), during the stop the Trooper observed several signs of criminal activity. When asked if there were drugs inside of the vehicle, the driver allegedly admitted there was a small amount of cocaine near the center console. 

With this information, a search of the vehicle was subsequently conducted which revealed approximately 11.5 pounds of powder fentanyl, 4 pounds of methamphetamine, 1,000 suspected fentanyl pills, and the user amount of cocaine the driver admitted to.

To put this into perspective, 11.5 pounds of powder Fentanyl would provide roughly 3.5 million lethal doses of Fentanyl to the Portland Metro Area- which has a population of approximately 1.8 million people. 

The driver was interviewed by DEA Agents and taken into federal custody pending federal charges.

A juvenile passenger was also lodged at the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center on related drug charges.