Three men from Yakima accused of moving liquid heroin in Oregon, authorities say

PORTLAND — Three men from Yakima are accused of transporting nearly 370 gallons of liquid heroin in Oregon, a U.S. Attorney’s Office news release said.

Marco Antonio Magallon, 44; Luis Deleon Woodward, 26; and Jorge Luis Amador, 25, all of Yakima, and Santos Alisael Aguilar Maya, 32, whose place of residence is unknown, have been charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and possession with intent to distribute heroin, the release said.

After receiving information that several individuals working for a transnational criminal organization were moving a large load of drugs into Oregon, investigators observed a rented moving truck driven by Amador and an accompanying red pickup truck traveling west on Interstate 84 near Bonneville, Ore., the release said.

The vehicles stopped briefly in a commercial parking lot in Beaverton, Ore., and later to a motel in Tigard, Ore., in the late evening of Jan. 24 and early morning hours of Jan. 25, the release said.

After obtaining a federal search warrant, investigators seized eight 55-gallon barrels containing approximately 370 gallons of a liquid narcotic inside the moving truck, and two loaded handguns inside the motel room.

The four suspects were arrested. Lab tests later confirmed the barrels contained liquid heroin, the news release said.

The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Westside Interagency Narcotics Team.