Repeat illegal immigrant fentanyl distributor released by Portland officials pleads guilty in federal court

Bexon Javier Calix-Rivera, who was unlawfully residing in the city, received a 78-month prison sentence followed by four years of supervised release on Thursday, per the Department of Justice.

Calix-Rivera pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl on March 12 of this year. According to court records, Calix-Rivera was first arrested in January 2023 after officers arrived at the scene of a drug deal in Portland. There, officers searched his vehicle and found thousands of fentanyl pills along with significant quantities of powdered fentanyl and heroin intended for redistribution. He was booked on state charges but released the next day.

In May 2023, Calix-Rivera was again detained after reports of a man threatening someone with a firearm in downtown Portland. Despite being arrested, he was released on his own recognizance.

Days later, officers observed him wielding a hatchet and conducting drug deals. He was apprehended by officers who recognized him from past encounters, but was once again released the same day.

“Officers attempted to detain Calix-Rivera, but he fled on foot,” the Department of Justice said in a press release. “When officers apprehended Calix-Rivera, they seized fentanyl powder, a firearm, and $755 in cash. PPB officers booked Calix-Rivera in the Multnomah County Jail, and he was released the same day.”

In June of last year, a federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment charging him with possession of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine with intent to distribute, as well as possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.