Honduran National in Portland Faces Federal Trial Over Fatal Fentanyl Sale

PORTLAND, Ore. — A Honduran national living illegally in Portland appeared in federal court yesterday charged with distributing fentanyl that resulted in the death by overdose of an unnamed adult male in January 2024.

Jury Trial Begins on 9 September

A federal grand jury in Portland indicted 50-year-old Hugo Gomez-Soto on June 18, 2025, including a charge of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute.

Gomez-Soto pleaded not guilty during his appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge and was ordered to remain in custody while awaiting a four-day jury trial scheduled to start on September 9, 2025.

Court documents reveal that the Portland Police Bureau Narcotics and Organized Crime (NOC) Unit began investigating the suspected fentanyl overdose in January 2024. The unnamed adult male victim was found at premises in Southwest Portland.

Gomez-Soto was identified as the person responsible for the sale of fentanyl to the victim and was arrested and charged on 25 January 2024. When he was arrested, Gomez-Soto had fentanyl, powder and counterfeit pills containing fentanyl in his possession.
If convicted,

Gomez-Soto faces a maximum sentence of life behind bars.

The prosecutor in the case is Scott M. Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.