Federal Agents Arrest Honduran Immigrant Dealing Fentanyl in Portland Undercover Operation

PORTLAND, Ore. — A Honduran national living illegally in Gresham has been sentenced to prison for three years and nine months for distributing fentanyl in and around Portland.

Arrest Took Place in a Controlled Buy

According to court documents, Borys Rafael Almendarez-Chapas (45) was arrested when investigators conducted a controlled buy of fentanyl from him in Portland on 4 December 2024.

When arrested, Almendarez-Chapas was found in possession of fentanyl powder and counterfeit pills containing the opioid.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Oregon District Office, the Honduran admitted to investigators that he had planned to sell two ounces of fentanyl powder and 500 pills during the transaction. He told investigators that there were firearms at his residence, where officers later seized three weapons.

Almendarez-Chapas was indicted on charges of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm for use in a drug trafficking crime, and an alien in possession of a gun by a federal grand jury in Portland on 17 December 2024

He pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl on 30 January 2025. Apart from the 45-month prison sentence, he was also sentenced to three years of supervised release when he appeared in court on Monday.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Clackamas County Interagency Task Force (CCITF) and prosecuted by Scott Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid up to 100 times more potent than morphine and up to 50 times stronger than heroin. A 2-milligram dose of fentanyl can kill an average adult. Fentanyl is widely available in Oregon and is the cause of a dramatic increase in overdose deaths throughout the state.

If you are in immediate danger, call 911 or if you or someone you know suffers from addiction, call the Lines for Life substance abuse helpline at 1-800-923-4357 or visit www.linesforlife.org. Phone support is available 24/7. You can also text “RecoveryNow” to 839863 between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Pacific Time daily.