Three Sentenced to Federal Prison for Klamath Basin Drug Trafficking

KLAMATH FALLS (Released from the U.S. Attorney’s Office-District Of Oregon)-In separate criminal cases, three southern Oregon drug traffickers, including the leader of a Klamath Falls, Oregon, drug trafficking organization, were sentenced to federal prison Thursday following investigations by the Basin Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team (BINET), announced the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.

Juan Jessie Martinez-Gil, 59, a former resident of Reno, Nevada, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release;

Blake Anthony Fulleton, 35, a resident of Klamath Falls, was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release; and

Miguel Espana, 31, also of Klamath Falls, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.

U.S. v. Martinez-Gil

According to court documents, between August 1, 2019, and September 2, 2021, Martinez-Gil and various associates conspired with one another to traffic large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, in the form of counterfeit Oxycodone pills, purchased in Southern California to Southern Oregon. Martinez-Gil and others sold these drugs to distributors in Klamath and Lake counties for further distribution and sale.

On September 2, 2021, Martinez-Gil and several associates were arrested as part of a coordinated law enforcement operation and federal search warrants were executed on five locations and two vehicles connected to the group. Law enforcement located and seized more than seventeen pounds of methamphetamine and several hundred counterfeit Oxycodone pills.

On September 30, 2021, a federal grand jury in Medford returned an indictment charging Martinez-Gil and his associates with conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl, and attempted distribution of methamphetamine.

On November 1, 2023, Martinez-Gil pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.

U.S. v. Fulleton

In September 2021, detectives from the Klamath Falls Police Department observed Fulleton, who they knew had multiple active felony warrants, depart a known drug house in Klamath Falls. After fleeing the detectives and crashing his vehicle into a power pole, Fulleton led the officers on a short foot pursuit and was arrested. At the time of his arrest, Fulleton possessed a small quantity of methamphetamine on his person. Detectives searched his vehicle and located a loaded pistol, an additional 480 grams of methamphetamine, a small quantity of heroin, and various drug packaging materials.

On February 3, 2022, a federal grand jury in Medford returned an indictment charging Fulleton with possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. On December 11, 2023, Fulleton pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm.

U.S. v. Espana

In 2019, Klamath Falls area law enforcement began investigating Espana for drug trafficking and obtained information that he possessed approximately two pounds of methamphetamine in his vehicle. On October 22, 2019, investigators located Espana sitting in the passenger seat of his vehicle parked near a Klamath Falls motel and later stopped his vehicle when it departed the lot. Investigators searched the vehicle and located approximately 717 grams of methamphetamine, a digital scale, drug ledger, and $758 in cash.

On February 3, 2021, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Espana with one count of possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine and, on October 16, 2023, he pleaded guilty to the single charge.

All three cases were investigated by BINET. On Martinez-Gil and Espana, BINET investigators were assisted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). On Fulleton, they were assisted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

Martinez-Gil and Espana were prosecuted by Marco A. Boccato, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. Fulleton was prosecuted Assistant U.S. Attorney John C. Brassell, also of the District of Oregon.

BINET is a Klamath Falls area narcotics task force comprised of Oregon State Police, the Klamath Falls Police Department, and Oregon National Guard.

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