PORTLAND, Ore. — A 25-year-old Mexican national has pleaded guilty in federal court to drug trafficking charges stemming from a conspiracy operating in and around the Portland area, authorities announced.
Fernando Adolip Cruz-Lerma admitted to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances following his extradition from Canada.
According to court documents, Cruz-Lerma was involved in a drug trafficking conspiracy during April and May 2019. In April, he transported a victim from Washington to Clackamas County over a drug-related debt owed to members of the organization. Prosecutors say the victim was later killed by members of the conspiracy, and Cruz-Lerma assisted in leaving the victim’s body along a rural road in Clackamas County.
The following month, Cruz-Lerma distributed approximately two pounds of methamphetamine as part of the operation.
A federal grand jury in Portland returned a superseding indictment on June 6, 2023, charging Cruz-Lerma with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, distribution of methamphetamine, and use of a communication facility in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Cruz-Lerma now faces a potential maximum sentence of life in prison, along with a possible $10 million fine and lifetime supervised release. He is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and at least five years of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for July 8, 2026, before a U.S. District Court judge.
As part of his plea agreement, Cruz-Lerma has agreed to pay full restitution. Authorities noted that a co-conspirator, Marcos Alonso Castillo-Bernal, has already been sentenced in connection with the case.
The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Portland Police Bureau, Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Clackamas County Interagency Task Force.
Officials said the case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative aimed at dismantling drug trafficking organizations and combating violent crime.
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