Bend Man Arrested for Cocaine Trafficking in Deschutes County
By Mindy Gould on Friday, June 14th, 2024 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories
DESCHUTES COUNTY (Released from Central Oregon Drug Enforcement)-On June 6th, 2024, at approximately 7:00 PM, the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team, in collaboration with the Bend Police Department, concluded a long-term drug investigation with the arrest of Kyle Benhower, age 36, of Bend.
During the investigation, Drug agents identified Kyle Benhower as a cocaine trafficker which was occurring in the Bend area.
On June 6th, 2024, at approximately 7:00 PM, Drug agents conducted a surveillance operation and observed what appeared to be a drug transaction in the area of NE Division/ Vail Ave. A subject walked up to Benhower’s vehicle, and they conducted what appeared to be a drug deal. The subject that met with Benhower left the area in a vehicle. CODE Detectives, with the assistance of the Bend Police Department, stopped the subject in a vehicle that met with Benhower, and CODE Detectives seized a quantity of cocaine. This traffic stop occurred in the area of S. Division/ Reed Market Rd. in Bend, the vehicle involved and stopped will not be identified.
Drug agents had probable cause to arrest Kyle Benhower for the delivery of cocaine. CODE Detectives set up on a local hotel in the general area of 3rd St./Greenwood Ave. in Bend conducting surveillance on Kyle Benhower. At about 8:30 PM, Benhower exited his motel room and members of the CODE team and Bend Police Department took him into custody without any issues.
CODE Detectives applied for and were granted a search warrant for Benhower’s hotel room and vehicle. CODE Detectives executed the search warrant at approximately 9:30 PM. During a search of both the hotel room and his vehicle, Benhower was found to be in possession of cocaine, ecstasy, Xanax, psilocybin mushrooms, a handgun, scales, packaging material, and cash. All the items secured were consistent with possessing, manufacturing, and distributing illegal narcotics.
Kyle Benhower was transported and lodged at the Deschutes County Adult Jail. Additional charges may be filed in this case as the investigation is ongoing.
CODE Detectives were assisted by the Bend Police Department on the traffic stop and search warrant service.
The Central Oregon Drug Enforcement (CODE) team is a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program and the following Central Oregon law enforcement agencies: Bend Police Department, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, Redmond Police Department, Prineville Police Department, Crook County Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Madras Police Department, Oregon State Police, Sunriver Police Department, Black Butte Police Department, United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Warm Springs Tribal Police Department, Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson County District Attorney’s, and the Oregon National Guard.
The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement task forces to disrupt or dismantle local, multi-state and international drug trafficking organizations.
