Pair of routine traffic stops lead to discovery of $30,000 in drugs, arrests

The Beaverton Valley Times, Dec 24, 2009

WCSO / Submitted photo

Meth and cocaine.

Two men are in Washington County Jail after drug detectives made traffic stops in Tualatin and Beaverton last week and found more than $30,000 in methamphetamine and cocaine.

The stops occurred on Thursday, Dec. 17, around 9:30 a.m., and were carried out by detectives from the Westside Interagency Narcotics Team in connection with a drug-trafficking investigation that had been going on for months.

Jose Hilario-Duran, 32, was the first of two men arrested after being pulled over in his 1998 Acura CL on Interstate 5 near Tualatin.

A few minutes later, Refugio Ornelas-Aleman, 33, was pulled over in his 2004 Honda Odyssey on Highway 217 near Walker Road.

Both men are from the Modesto, Calif., area and have been under investigation for a few months under suspicion of involvement in a drug-trafficking organization that moved illegal substances from California to Oregon, detectives said.

After police dogs from the Washington County Sheriff’s office and the Beaverton Police Department detected narcotics inside the vehicles, search warrants were obtained, and the vehicles were opened up Friday, Dec. 18. That’s where detectives found a pound of meth, valued at $25,000, and half a pound of cocaine, valued at $8,000.

Ornelas-Aleman is being held on $500,000 bail and is charged with unlawful possession of methamphetamine, unlawful delivery of methamphetamine, unlawful possession of cocaine, unlawful delivery of cocaine, failure to carry or present a license and three counts of criminal possession of a forged instrument.

Hilario-Duran is also being held on $500,000 bail and is charged with the same possession and delivery charges plus giving false information to a police officer, criminal possession of a forged instrument and forgery in the first degree.

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