Latest news with #MartinManzoNegrete
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Leader of Lane County drug ring sentenced after record bust
Following the largest single seizure of methamphetamine in Oregon State History, the leader of a Lane County drug trafficking cell was sentenced to 15 years in prison on June 3. According to court documents, the Eugene Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating what was referred to as the "Manzo-Mares" cell in October 2020 for its role in trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine from California to Oregon to sell and distribute in Lane County. On Sept. 13, 2021, Martin Manzo Negrete, 51, a Mexican national who was unlawfully residing in Lane County, and his five associates were charged by criminal complaint with conspiring to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Oregon, Negrete has a long history of drug trafficking offenses. He previously served 14 years in federal prison after he was caught selling several pounds of methamphetamine to street-level dealers on a weekly basis. He was identified as the cell's leader and was responsible for coordinating the receipt, storage and distribution of drugs in and around Lane County. During an ongoing investigation, law enforcement officials executed federal search warrants at multiple Lane County locations, including a storage unit containing 384 pounds of methamphetamine. They also seized 14 firearms, some of which were stolen and more than $76,000 in cash. Manzano Negrete and associates were arrested. On March 4, 2025, Manzo Negrete pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute Methamphetamine, and his five co-conspirators pleaded guilty to other drug charges and were sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in the scheme. He was sentenced to 180 months in prison and five years of supervised release. Haleigh Kochanski is a breaking news and public safety reporter for The Register-Guard. You may reach her at HKochanski@ This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Oregon's biggest-ever meth bust ends in Eugene courtroom
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Drug trafficker sentenced to 15 years in prison after largest meth bust in Oregon history
PORTLAND, Ore. () — The ring leader of a drug trafficking operation out of Lane County was sentenced to 15 years in prison following what authorities say is the largest bust of meth in Oregon state history. Martin Manzo Negrete, 51, was living in Lane County 'unlawfully' as a Mexican national when he oversaw the operation that brought large amounts of meth from California to Oregon for distribution, the U.S. Department of Justice said. Man allegedly shared stolen intimate Snapchat photos In 2021, law enforcement officials executing a federal search warrant uncovered multiple spots in Lane County with illicit material, including a storage unit with 384 pounds of meth, as well as 14 guns, some stolen, and more than $76,000 in cash. Manzo Negrete and four of his associates were arrested as part of the investigation, with a fifth suspect arrested later on. Manzo Negrete was identified as the drug trafficking cell's leader after an investigation by authorities that began in 2020. Email trail: Portland Fire Bureau contradicts itself Earlier this year, Manzo Negrete pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth. He was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release. The five other co-conspirators in the case have also pleaded guilty and have been sentenced to federal prison. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
