Previously Convicted Mexican National Unlawfully Residing in the United States Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Meth in Oregon
PORTLAND, Ore. —Fernando Lombera Gonzalez, 34, a Mexican national unlawfully residing in the United States, was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release on Tuesday for conspiring to distribute more than three pounds of methamphetamine in Oregon.
According to court documents, in late May 2024, a federal agent contacted Gonzalez and arranged a controlled purchase of approximately 1,350 grams of methamphetamine. On June 1, 2024, Gonzalez traveled to Salem, Oregon, where Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigators observed him retrieve methamphetamine from a second vehicle before delivering approximately 1,377 grams of the drug, roughly equivalent to three pounds, in exchange for payment.
A federal arrest warrant was issued for Gonzalez in November 2024. On Jan. 18, 2025, Gonzalez was encountered during a traffic stop and provided law enforcement officers with a false name. Despite the deception, officers identified Gonzalez and arrested him on an outstanding warrant in a separate Marion County case involving a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. He was later transferred to federal custody in this case.
On Nov. 13, 2025, Gonzalez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Court records show Gonzalez had previously been convicted of methamphetamine trafficking and removed from the United States to Mexico. After unlawfully returning to the United States, he resumed criminal activity and served as a middleman for a large-scale drug trafficking organization operating in the Salem area. Prosecutors noted that neither his prior felony drug trafficking conviction nor his removal from the United States deterred him from returning to drug trafficking. Prosecutors further noted that Gonzalez engaged in separate firearm-related criminal conduct as a convicted felon, including an incident in which he discharged a firearm outside a nightclub.
“After a felony drug trafficking conviction and removal from the United States, this defendant unlawfully returned and went right back to serious criminal conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Scott Bradford. “Not only did he distribute large quantities of methamphetamine – a drug that fuels addiction, violence, and suffering in our communities – but he also engaged in separate firearm-related criminal activity as a convicted felon. Repeat offenders who show this level of disregard for our laws and public safety will be prosecuted aggressively and held accountable."
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Julia Jarrett of the District of Oregon.
