Natalie K. Wight, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon
A Mexican national living in Salem, Oregon, has been sentenced to federal prison for his involvement in drug trafficking activities. Leonel Covarrubias Hernandez, aged 48, received a sentence of 144 months in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release.
Court documents reveal that Covarrubias was identified as a narcotics distributor during an investigation into drug trafficking. Between August and December 2022, he engaged in several controlled sales of counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl.
On December 27, 2022, authorities conducted a traffic stop on Covarrubias and his accomplice near their home. The search led to the discovery of counterfeit pills with fentanyl, over $11,000 in cash, and a firearm. A subsequent search of their residence uncovered more than 29 pounds of methamphetamine, 11 pounds of fentanyl, 12 pounds of cocaine, two pounds of heroin, 24 firearms, a 3D printer, and over $43,000 in cash.
Covarrubias pleaded guilty on November 18, 2024, to possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute. The investigation was carried out by the FBI and the Salem Police Department and prosecuted by Bryan Chinwuba from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon.
