Federal and Local Officials Dismantle Oregon-Idaho Based Drug Trafficking Organization

BOISE - Four members of a drug trafficking organization that operated in both Idaho and Oregon have been sentenced to a combined thirty-seven and half years in federal prison, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today.

According to court records, in 2024 law enforcement began investigating a drug trafficking organization that was distributing methamphetamine in southwestern Idaho and eastern Oregon. Members of the organization obtained methamphetamine from California and brought it back to Idaho and Oregon for further distribution. During the investigation and subsequent arrests, law enforcement seized over 17 pounds of methamphetamine. Chief U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford sentenced each of the defendants to federal prison.

Juan Pulido, 44, of Caldwell, was sentenced to 188 months in prison for possessing methamphetamine with the intent of distributing it to others. At the time he committed the crime, Pulido had four prior drug trafficking convictions. During sentencing, Judge Brailsford described Pulido as a "large scale methamphetamine supplier." Pulido was ordered to serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence.

Maleah Rochelle Benavidez, 31, of Ontario, Oregon, was sentenced to 120 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. During her involvement in the conspiracy, Benavidez was absconding supervision on two prior drug trafficking convictions.

Daniel Ryan Carrion, 38, of Ontario, Oregon, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. During the investigation, Carrion led law enforcement on a high-speed chase, creating such a significant danger that officers had to end the pursuit. During the pursuit, Carrion threw a pound of methamphetamine in an open field that law enforcement officers seized.

Wesley John Roehl, 41, of Boise, was sentenced to 24 months, followed by three years of supervised release for distributing methamphetamine.

"Out of state acquisition of illegal narcotics endangers our community," said U.S. Attorney Bart Davis. "The U.S. Attorney's Office is committed to working with our federal, state, and local law enforcement to zealously prosecute those bringing drugs into Idaho."

"This investigation reflects DEA's commitment to disrupting drug trafficking organizations that threaten the safety of our communities," said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. "Through strong partnerships with our federal, state, and local law enforcement counterparts, we will continue to identify, investigate, and hold accountable those who profit from distributing dangerous drugs in Idaho and Oregon."

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration in coordination with the Nampa Police Department and the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. HIDTA is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multiagency drug enforcement initiatives, including the Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force, which includes the Nampa Police Department, Boise Police Department, Ada County Sherriff's Office, Meridian Police Department, Caldwell Police Department, Idaho State Police, and the Idaho Department of Corrections, Probation and Parole. Other agencies that assisted in the investigation included the United States Postal Inspector Service and the High Desert Drug Task Force.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey Manweiler prosecuted the case.

The Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force and the High Desert Drug Task Force are both supported by the HIDTA program, which provides funding resources to multiagency drug enforcement initiatives to identify, disrupt, and dismantle local, multi-state, and international drug trafficking organizations using an intelligence-driven, multi-agency prosecutor-supported approach.

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