Jackson County Man Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking

MEDFORD, Ore. — A Jackson County man has been sentenced to more than five years in federal prison for possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute, federal prosecutors announced.

Eduardo Cortes Cortes, 28, was sentenced last Thursday to 67 months in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release.

According to court records, the investigation began in July 2022 after authorities responded to a fatal overdose. Investigators found a rolled-up dollar bill containing crushed pill residue at the scene, which later tested positive for fentanyl.

Following an extensive investigation, law enforcement identified Tyren Duarte as the individual who supplied the fentanyl to the victim. Investigators later determined that Cortes Cortes was one of Duarte’s sources of supply.

During a subsequent traffic stop involving Cortes Cortes, officers seized approximately 93 grams of fentanyl pills and 33.66 grams of a fentanyl analogue.

On Feb. 2, 2023, a federal grand jury in Medford indicted Cortes Cortes, Duarte, and a third co-conspirator on charges of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

Duarte previously pleaded guilty to the same charge and was sentenced on Aug. 19, 2025, to 48 months in federal prison followed by six years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon announced the sentencing.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement (MADGE) task force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sara T. Shaw and John C. Brassell.

MADGE, led by the Medford Police Department, is a multi-agency task force dedicated to disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking organizations operating throughout Jackson County. The task force includes members from the Medford Police Department, Central Point Police Department, Oregon State Police, the FBI, and HSI. Its operations are supported through the Jackson County Public Safety Levy and grant funding from the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program.