Meth arrest may be tied to an FBI probe

A 26-year-old Vancouver man who appeared Monday in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of possessing more than 2 kilograms of methamphetamine may also be a suspect in an organized drug ring that moves large quantities of the drug on airliners, according to the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

Hugo Alberto Urbina-Garcia was held Monday on $250,000 bail. Judge Robert Lewis scheduled his arraignment for Dec. 28.

Urbina-Garcia was arrested Friday after the Clark County Drug Task Force received information from the Portland Police Bureau that a resident of a unit at the Evergreen Ridge Apartments on Northeast 17th Avenue in Minnehaha might be involved in drug trafficking, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Clark County Deputy Prosecutor Rachael Probstfeld said that the FBI is investigating the alleged drug ring.

Beth Steele, a spokeswoman for the FBI’s Portland office, said she couldn’t confirm or deny whether there was a pending investigation.

Mike Cooke of the Clark County Drug Task Force declined to comment on the case, citing the pending FBI investigation.

According to the affidavit, Urbina-Garcia told police that he was storing the drug for someone else and planned to package it for sale before returning it to its owner.

Paris Achen: 360-735-4551; http://twitter.com/Col_Courts; http://facebook.com/ColTrends; paris.achen@columbian.com.