On Tuesday, the leader of a Lane County drug trafficking cell was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy tied to the largest single seizure of methamphetamine in Oregon state history.
Federal prosecutors said law enforcement first began investigating the Lane County-based cell in October 2020 for its role in trafficking large amounts of methamphetamine from Southern California to Oregon. Martin Manzo Negrete, 51, was later identified by law enforcement as the cell’s leader. Prosecutors said investigators found that Manzo Negrete was responsible for coordinating the receiving, distribution and storage of methamphetamine in Lane County and surrounding areas.
In September 2021, law enforcement officers conducted search warrants at different locations in Lane County, including a storage unit where they found 384 pounds of methamphetamine. The amount authorities found in the storage unit is the largest single seizure of methamphetamine in Oregon state history, prosecutors said. In addition to the drugs found, law enforcement officers also found more than $76,000 in cash and 14 firearms, some of which prosecutors said were stolen.
After the warrants were executed, Manzo Negrete and four of his associates were arrested. Another associate was arrested later, prosecutors said. In March 2025, Manzo Negrete pleaded guilty to conspiring to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it.
Prosecutors said Manzo Negrete, a Mexican citizen who was living in the U.S. without legal permission at the time of his arrest, has a long history of drug trafficking. According to the U.S. Department of Justice and court documents from a prior case, he previously was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for the distribution of methamphetamine. That sentence, though, was reduced from 14 years to 134 months or approximately 11 years, the documents say.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The Springfield Police Department, the Eugene Police Department and the Linn Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team assisted with investigating the case.
