Honduran illegal immigrant sentenced to 6 years in prison for trafficking fentanyl in Portland, San Francisco

Ermin Izaguirre Estrada was arrested on August 9, 2023, during a fentanyl enforcement operation targeting drug dealers in Portland. The Department of Justice said officers observed Izaguirre Estrada holding what appeared to be blue fentanyl pills. Upon his arrest, law enforcement recovered a loaded firearm, more than 6,000 fentanyl pills, fentanyl powder, and cash.

A week later, a federal grand jury in Portland returned an indictment charging him with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being an alien in possession of a firearm.

Separately, a federal grand jury in California returned a two-count indictment in September 2023, stemming from an April 2023 arrest in San Francisco. That indictment charged him with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.

On April 30, 2025, Izaguirre Estrada pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, resolving both cases.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Portland Police Bureau’s Narcotics and Organized Crime Unit, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Interdiction Team, the PPB Central Precinct Neighborhood Response Team, and the PPB Bike Squad.

The arrest comes as Oregon has been a popular fentanyl trafficking location in the US due to its lax laws on drug enforcement and being a “sanctuary state” for migrants who are in the country illegally.