Leader of Lane County Drug Trafficking Cell Unlawfully Residing in Oregon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Conspiracy to Distribute the Largest Seizure of Methamphetamine in Oregon State History

EUGENE, Ore.— The leader of a Lane County, Oregon, drug trafficking cell was sentenced to federal prison today for possessing 384 pounds of methamphetamine, the largest single seizure of methamphetamine in Oregon State history and valued at over a million dollars.

Martin Manzo Negrete, 51, a Mexican national unlawfully residing in Lane County, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.

According to court documents, in October 2020, law enforcement began investigating the Manzo-Mares cell for its role in trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine from California to Oregon for distribution and sale in and around Lane County. The drug trafficking organization transported methamphetamine from Southern California to Oregon where it was stored, divided, and distributed into the community.

Investigators learned that Manzo Negrete, who has a long history of drug trafficking and previously served 14 years in federal prison, sold several pounds of methamphetamine to street-level dealers on a weekly basis. Manzo Negrete was identified as the cell’s leader, and was responsible for coordinating the receipt, storage, and distribution of methamphetamine in and around Lane County.  

On September 13, 2021, Manzo Negrete and five associates were charged by criminal complaint with conspiring to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

On September 15, 2021, as part of a coordinated law enforcement operation, law enforcement executed federal search warrants at multiple locations in Lane County, including a storage unit containing 384 pounds of methamphetamine. In addition to methamphetamine, law enforcement seized 14 firearms—some of which were stolen—and more than $76,000 in cash. Manzo Negrete and four associates were arrested, and the fifth associate was arrested later.   

On March 4, 2025, Manzo Negrete pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

In addition to Manzo Negrete, all five co-conspirators have pleaded guilty and been sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in the conspiracy.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), with assistance from the Springfield Police Department, the Eugene Police Department, and the Linn Interagency Narcotics Enforcement (LINE) Team. It was prosecuted by Nicholas D. Meyers and William M. McLaren, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.

The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.