Honduran Man Faces Sentencing for Heroin Trafficking Tied to Death of Young Oregon Resident

The suspect had entered the U.S. illegally, prior to the alleged crime.

Salem-News.com

(PORTLAND, Ore.) - On July 8, 2010, Antonio Cruz, an illegal alien from Honduras, is going to be sentenced for his involvement in trafficking heroin into Portland, OR. Cruz has been traced back as the supplier for the black tar heroin that killed 21-year-old Kyle Whipps, a Sisters, OR resident visiting Portland for a series of concerts in September 2008.

In the past, heroin has primarily been an injection drug because of its low potency, but recent innovations to make the drug more pure (and thus more potent) have made the drug a popular choice for snorting or smoking. Heroin now kills more Oregon residents than meth and cocaine combined. The black tar heroin is a particularly potent form of the drug, named for its dark and gooey tar-like consistency, and sells for as little as $10 a bag. An Associated Press article about the drug showed that a spike in overdose deaths is related to new users caught off guard by the potency of this cheap drug. Portland is becoming the trans-shipment point for heroin to Central Oregon and the coast.

Kyle Whipps was one of those unsuspecting recreational users. A talented musician and athlete just shy of his 22nd birthday, he was saving money for an extended mission trip to Uganda when he attended a series of concerts in Portland with a group of friends. Later, a close friend of Kyle’s told his mother, Penny Whipps, that he had noticed a change in his behavior and had planned on talking to him about it the next day. “I’ll regret that decision for the rest of my life,” he said, expressing his grief about not talking sooner. This conversation made Whipps realize that even in these dangerous times, friends still have the power to save their peer’s lives if they are willing to speak up.

Out of these circumstances, Kyle’s mother, Penny Whipps, founded Just1x (Just One Time), a non-profit organization geared toward breaking the “code of silence” in today’s youth culture. Whipps began speaking in schools to encourage kids to stop living dangerously and to speak up when they see destructive behaviors—not just drugs, but also recreational drinking, cutting, or any other risky behaviors. “We believe strongly that students will save lives if they allow the story of my son’s death to motivate them to be willing to risk being uncomfortable and get their friends help,” Whipps says. “I support the US Attorney’s office and the Portland Police Bureau in their fight against drug trafficking and hopefully through their work and the continued telling of my son’s story other families will be saved from the pain and heart-ache that we are enduring.”

The hearing for Antonio Cruz will be held on July 8 at 10:00 AM on the 14th floor in the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland, OR. Whipps and her family will be in attendance.