Two Washington State Men Caught Selling 80 Pounds of Methamphetamine Face Federal Charges

PORTLAND, Ore.—Two suspected drug traffickers from Vancouver, Washington are facing federal charges today after they were caught selling nearly 80 pounds of methamphetamine in a single negotiated transaction.

Luis Arnulfo Urioste Bracamontes, 26, and Rafael Avina Torres, 37, have been charged by criminal complaint with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

According to court documents, in December 2023, special agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) obtained information that Urioste, through his Portland area drug trafficking organization, was involved in and capable of selling large quantities of methamphetamine throughout the region. Soon after, at the direction of HSI and the Westside Interagency Narcotics team (WIN), a purchase of 80 pounds of methamphetamine for $104,000 was arranged with Urioste.

On the evening of January 4, 2023, after observing the negotiated sale taking place in a restaurant parking lot, investigators arrested Urioste and his associate, Avina, without incident. Investigators located and seized two cardboard boxes containing nearly 80 pounds of packaged methamphetamine from Urioste and Avina’s vehicle. Later the same evening, a state search warrant was executed on a Vancouver house Urioste and Avina were seen at prior to their arrest. Investigators located and seized several additional pounds of methamphetamine, scales, and a rifle from a bedroom where Avina was believed to reside.

Urioste and Avina made their first appearances in federal court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Armistead and were ordered detained pending further court proceedings.

This case was investigated by HSI and WIN with assistance from the Clark County, Washington Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Scott M. Kerin, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.

WIN is a Washington County, Oregon-based interagency drug interdiction task force that includes members from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Beaverton and Hillsboro Police Departments, Oregon National Guard Counter Drug Program, FBI, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and HSI.

A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.