Criminal Alien of the Week Report December, 18 2023
Lars Larson Show: Criminal Alien of the Week Report
December 18, 2023
Lars:
The “Criminal Alien of the Week Report” in the third full week of December 2023 has for your radio listeners and webpage followers the topic of an identified foreign national who has been arrested by law enforcement three separate times on major drug related charges in year 2023, after each arrest he was released from custody of the county jail, he’s currently only been criminally charged in a state district court on two of his previously mentioned drug arrests, furthermore, this same individual had two prior outstanding arrest warrants on him for not showing up in court to face those ongoing criminal charges out of Multnomah County, Oregon.
Some background information, on the morning of Thursday, December 7, 2023 Luis Funez (Multnomah County District Court Case Numbers: 23CR01069 and 23CR04532) was arrested by the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) North Precinct, and booked into the custody of the Multnomah County Jail (MCJ) in Portland, Oregon on numerous drug related charges, nevertheless, on the same day for some undisclosed reason MCJ Deputies released him from the custody of the jail.
The following day, on Friday, December 8, 2023 the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) issued a news release titled “Investigation takes down drug trafficking ring with international ties” who the subject of interest was Luis Funez.
Here is an extended excerpt from MCSO’s December 8th news release on Luis Funez:
“A months-long investigation by the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Dangerous Drugs Team resulted in one of the largest illegal fentanyl seizures in state history, and the largest seizure in agency history.
The Dangerous Drugs Team (DDT), a grant-funded narcotics task force (more information below), executed an early morning search warrant on December 7, 2023, culminating an investigation into a drug trafficking organization selling fentanyl in the tri-county area.
During the investigation, DDT identified several suspects and their co-conspirators, as well as cars and houses believed to be involved. Search warrants were executed at locations in Portland and Oregon City. At the Portland location, law enforcement located more than 52 pounds of fentanyl powder. At the Oregon City location, more than one pound of fentanyl powder and over 8,000 fentanyl pills were discovered.
In addition to the drugs, over $30,000 in cash and multiple firearms were seized. The weapons found included two firearms that were broken down and concealed in packages addressed for locations outside the United States.
DDT estimates that the more than 50 pounds of fentanyl powder seized would have yielded 11 million individual doses, which would have otherwise been sold in the Portland-area.
Due to the excessive amount of fentanyl powder being processed, detectives used personal protective equipment and had NARCAN (Naloxone nasal spray) available in case of accidental exposure. The bulk fentanyl, over 50 pounds, was found open in a cardboard box lined with a trash bag.
Three people were booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center: 23-year-old Luis Funez, 21-year-old Gerson Isaac Hernandez Betancurt, and 37-year-old Dezirae Ann Torset. The case has been referred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.” – Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office.
Some history, the “Criminal Alien of the Week Report” did a OREGON JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT – Online Records Search on Luis Funez (Case Number: 23CR01069) that revealed on January 9, 2023 he was arraigned and charged in Multnomah County Circuit Court with one count of Mfg/Delivery Controlled Substance in Schedule II, one count of Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance, one count Delivery of Methamphetamine, one count of Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine, one count of Trademark Counterfeiting in the First Degree and one count of Trademark Counterfeiting in the Second Degree.
On December 11, 2023 a Failure to Appear Warrant was issued on Luis Funez (Case Number: 23CR01069) in regard to the preceding criminal charges.
More history, the “Criminal Alien of the Week Report” did another OREGON JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT – Online Records Search on Luis Funez (Case Number: 23CR04532) that revealed on January 29, 2023 he was charged in Multnomah County Circuit Court with one count of Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance.
On December 11, 2023 a Failure to Appear Warrant was issued on Luis Funez (Case Number: 23CR04532) in regard to the preceding criminal charge.
Five days later, on the evening of Wednesday, December 13, 2023 Luis Funez now being identified as German Ariel Arteaga-Sanchez (Multnomah County District Court Case Numbers: 23CR01069 and 23CR04532) was rearrested by the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) and once again booked into the custody of the Multnomah County Jail (MCJ) in Portland, Oregon on the same numerous drug related charges.
The same day, later in the evening of Wednesday, December 13, 2023 the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) issued a follow-up news release titled “Luis Funez arrested by deputies, held in custody” who the subject of interest has now been identified as being German Ariel Arteaga-Sanchez (aka Luis Funez).
Here is an excerpt from MCSO’s December 13th news release on German Ariel Arteaga-Sanchez:
“The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) Dangerous Drug Team arrested 23-year-old German Ariel Arteaga-Sanchez also known as Luis Funez, shortly after 5:30 p.m., on Wednesday, December 13, following a traffic stop in the area of SE 174th Avenue & SE Stark Street. He was booked into the Multnomah County jail at 6:45 p.m. He is being held in custody on arrest warrants with multiple charges. MCSO was aided by the U.S. Marshals Service and Portland Police Bureau.” – Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office.
Seeking information on German Ariel Arteaga-Sanchez’s immigration status on Wednesday, December 13, 2023 the “Criminal Alien of the Week Report” contacted via e-mail U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Office Public Affairs (OPA), for the Northwest Region.
On the afternoon of Friday, December 15, 2023 an ICE Public Affairs Officer (PAO) responded via e-mail with the following statement on German Ariel Arteaga-Sanchez:
“ICE officers make enforcement decisions on a case-by-case basis in a professional and responsible manner, informed by their experience as law enforcement officials and in a way that best protects against the greatest threats to the homeland.
ON BACKGROUND:
German Arteaga-Sanchez, also known as Luis Funez, 21, is a citizen of Honduras encountered by Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Seattle as part of a task force investigating local drug trafficking organizations (DTO) in Portland, Oregon. Arteaga-Sanchez remains in custody of the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office under a hold by the U.S. Marshals Service, pending federal charges. ERO Seattle placed an immigration detainer with the U.S. Marshals Service Dec. 14.
###” – ICE Public Affairs Spokesperson.
On Friday, December 15, 2023 the “Criminal Alien of the Week Report” checked Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office (MCDAO) website to see if a news release had been issued indicting the MCDAO had indicted and charged German Ariel Arteaga-Sanchez (aka Luis Funez) in Multnomah County Circuit Court for his third major drug arrest in 2023, nothing in the news section of the website.
Also on Friday, December 15, 2023 the “Criminal Alien of the Week Report” checked the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Oregon (USAODO) website to find out if a news release had been issued by USAODO indicating German Ariel Arteaga-Sanchez had been indicted and charged in U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon on drug trafficking, nothing in the news section of the website.
Summing up the topic of this week’s report, an important fact, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) is law enforcement agency that manages the county’s jail.
Clearly something went terribly wrong on December 7, 2023 when already twice arrested and charged in Multnomah County District Court alleged trafficker German Ariel Arteaga-Sanchez aka Luis Funez was released on the same day of his third arrest on drug charges in 2023 from the custody of the Multnomah County Jail (MCJ) in Portland, Oregon by MCJ Deputies back into the community.
Fortunately after five days the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) along U.S. Marshal Service (USM) put end to German Ariel Arteaga-Sanchez’s untimely release from the county’s jail.
With a U.S. Marshal Service USM Hold now in place on German Ariel Arteaga-Sanchez with Multnomah County Jail officials that federal action means he will less likely be released again by MCJ Deputies from jail custody before facing state court drug charges or possibly in the future in U.S. district court federal drug charges.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), immigration detainer placed on German Ariel Arteaga-Sanchez will follow him though out his future custody in local county jails, furthermore, incarceration in state or federal prisons (Note: to learn more about how ICE immigration detainers are used see the ICE Detainers 101 webpage).
A bit of educated speculation, apart from the two separate criminal cases in Multnomah County Circuit Court relating to drug charges German Ariel Arteaga-Sanchez (Case Numbers: 23CR01069 and 23CR04532) currently faces in the state of Oregon, if the Honduran national is convicted federally of drug trafficking charges in U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, he could be sentenced to serve time in the not-too-distant-future in the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) prison system with more than 24-thousand criminal aliens.
A special thank you goes out once again to the ICE Public Affairs team who contributes significant information to help make the “Criminal Alien of the Week Report” possible.
Lars, the third full week of December 2023 and another “Criminal Alien of the Week Report” for Lars Larson Show KXL FM 101.1 Pacific Northwest radio listeners and website followers.