Federal law enforcement has been cracking down on traffickers of drugs and firearms, leading to more than a dozen indictments of people in the Portland metropolitan area this month.

So far, 17 people have landed federal charges in October. The charges range from dealing significant amounts of methamphetamine to transferring rifles to other people with the knowledge, according to prosecutors, that the gun could be used in a crime. Agents seized 18 firearms from a single Oregon City home where a suspected drug dealer lived, according to one indictment.

The spree of indictments follows a five-week mission jointly led by local law enforcement and federal agencies, including the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. More indictments could follow, according to Scott Bradford, U.S. attorney for the District of Oregon.

Bradford joined several federal and local agencies for a press conference Monday at the federal courthouse. They described the recent mission as using data to identify areas in the Portland metropolitan area most impacted by guns and drugs. Officials declined to offer specifics during the press conference about which areas of the metropolitan area saw the most activity.

Jonathan Blais, who leads the ATF’s Seattle bureau, said many of the firearms seized were acquired illegally, though he couldn’t specify how many.

“They’ll do whatever they can to trade or acquire these firearms, through drug trafficking, drug trading, stealing — whatever it means to get their hands on these firearms that they’re going to use to intimidate and perpetuate violence in the city,” Blais said.

On Tuesday, many court documents related to the individuals charged remained under seal or heavily redacted, which can occur in cases that involve undercover tactics. Several cases showed agents orchestrated undercover drug purchases to secure indictments.

Gun violence, which surged in Portland during and immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic, has dropped steadily since 2022. The Portland Police Bureau reports there have been 389 shooting incidents to date this year, the lowest year for gun violence since 2019.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/10/28/federal-law-enforcement-surge-leads-to-dozens-of-portland-indictments/