PORTLAND, Ore. — Six Oregon residents have been charged for their alleged roles in a drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine across the state, U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford announced.
Federal prosecutors charged the following defendants in a second superseding information filed April 29, 2026:
- Rafael Mora Contreras, 45, of Forest Grove
- Cristina Echeverria, 42, of Forest Grove
- Nathalie Claire Buchanan, 28, of Bend
- Charles Ottis Johnson, 37, of Bend
- Mariano Perez-Sanchez, 42, of Forest Grove
- Dagoberto Ayala-Lopez, 38, of Hillsboro
All six are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, as well as distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine.
According to court documents, the investigation began in July 2025 when the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Oregon State Police (OSP), and the Clackamas County Interagency Task Force (CCITF) launched an inquiry into a Forest Grove-based drug trafficking operation allegedly run by Perez-Sanchez.
Investigators say Perez-Sanchez acted as a drug dispatcher, coordinating orders from retail-level distributors and overseeing the movement of narcotics throughout Oregon.
Authorities allege that Johnson and Buchanan operated as trafficking partners, routinely purchasing large quantities of methamphetamine in the Portland and Salem areas for resale in Central Oregon. On Feb. 11, 2026, Echeverria allegedly delivered a significant quantity of methamphetamine to Buchanan at a hotel. Shortly afterward, Buchanan and Johnson were stopped by law enforcement officers, who reportedly discovered more than four pounds of methamphetamine inside their vehicle.
Investigators also reviewed text messages exchanged during the transaction, which prosecutors say provided additional evidence of drug trafficking activity.
Less than a week later, on Feb. 17, 2026, Echeverria and Mora Contreras were stopped by Oregon State Police after returning from an overnight trip to California, where authorities believe they had traveled to replenish the organization’s drug supply. Troopers allegedly seized 28 pounds of methamphetamine and six kilograms of cocaine from Echeverria’s vehicle.
Ayala-Lopez, who prosecutors describe as a courier for the organization, was also implicated in the investigation. During searches of his vehicles and residence conducted under court-authorized warrants, investigators reportedly recovered more than two kilograms of methamphetamine.
The case is being investigated by the DEA with assistance from Oregon State Police and the Clackamas County Interagency Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lewis Burkhart is prosecuting the case.
The CCITF, led by the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, is a multi-agency task force focused on disrupting drug trafficking organizations and reducing drug-related crime throughout the region. Participating agencies include the Canby Police Department, Oregon State Police, the FBI, and the Oregon National Guard Counterdrug Task Force.
Federal officials said the arrests are also part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established under Executive Order 14159. The initiative brings together numerous federal, state, and local agencies to investigate and prosecute transnational criminal organizations, drug trafficking networks, human smuggling operations, and other serious criminal enterprises operating within the United States.
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