Honduran Drug Lords Busted on Fentanyl Trafficking in Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. — A dramatic takedown in the streets of downtown Portland saw three Honduran defendants, all unlawfully residing in Oregon, make their mark on federal court with charges of fentanyl trafficking. The men, Antoni Yahir Pavon-Rosales, 18; Cristian Ravolales, 27; and Kevin Concepcion Ramos-Espinoza, 34, were arrested on National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day last Thursday.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) joined forces with the Portland Police Bureau’s (PPB) Central Neighborhood Response Team, Bike Squad, Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit, Clackamas County Interagency Task Force, and United States Attorney’s Office for a sweeping enforcement mission. Pavon-Rosales was caught attempting to sell fentanyl, while Ravolales and Ramos-Espinoza were observed engaging in multiple acts of drug trafficking.

Seizures included 22.5 grams of fentanyl from Pavon-Rosales, 45.9 grams from Ravolales, and 14.7 grams from Ramos-Espinoza, along with substantial cash reserves ranging from $2,461 to $795. Ramos-Espinoza has already faced two pending delivery of controlled substance cases in Multnomah County Circuit Court.

The trio appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge and were ordered detained pending further court proceedings, with arraignments set for September 24, 2025. The Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program (HIDTA) supported the investigation, which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Kerin.

This operation underscores the escalating threat of fentanyl in Oregon, a synthetic opioid that is up to 100 times more potent than morphine and capable of killing an average adult with just a 2-milligram dose. The grim reality of fentanyl’s availability has fueled a staggering increase in overdose deaths across the state.

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