Mexican National Extradited from Canada Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking Conspiracy

PORTLAND, Ore.-A Mexican National pleaded guilty today for conspiring to distribute and distributing narcotics in and around Portland after being extradited from Canada.

Fernando Adolip Cruz-Lerma, 25, pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances.

According to court documents, in April and May 2019, Cruz-Lerma conspired with others to engage in drug trafficking. In April, Cruz-Lerma transported a victim from the state of Washington to Clackamas County due to a drug debt that the victim owed to members of the drug trafficking conspiracy. The victim was killed by members of the drug trafficking conspiracy in furtherance of the conspiracy. Cruz-Lerma assisted with leaving the victim's body along a rural road in Clackamas County after the victim had been killed.

In May 2019, Cruz-Lerma distributed approximately two pounds of methamphetamine.

On June 6, 2023, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an superseding indictment charging Cruz-Lerma with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute controlled substances and to use a communication facility and distribution of methamphetamine.

Cruz-Lerma faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $10 million. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment and five years of supervised release. He will be sentenced on July 8, 2026, before a U.S. district court judge.

As part of the plea agreement, Cruz-Lerma has agreed to pay restitution in full. Marcos Alonso Castillo-Bernal has previously been sentenced as part of this investigation.

U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford of the District of Oregon made the announcement.

This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Portland Police Bureau, the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, and the Clackamas County Interagency Task Force (CCITF). The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon is prosecuting the case.

CCITF, led by the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, works to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations operating in and around Clackamas County, and reduce illegal drugs and related crimes throughout the community. The task force is comprised of members from the Canby Police Department, Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, Oregon State Police, the FBI, and the Oregon National Guard Counterdrug Task Force. CCITF is supported by our community with the passage of the Public Safety Levy and grant funding from the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.