Good morning…..
Salem made national news last week and it wasn’t for anything good.
Federal authorities announced they were arresting a Salem man as the leader of a cartel operation smuggling fentanyl into the U.S. The operation, according to officials, operated throughout the Western U.S.
But a lot remains unknown about Heriberto Salazar Amaya, 36. A quick check didn’t reveal any previous criminal charges in Oregon. Officials didn’t say a word about how long he had been in Salem, where he lived or if he had any job. They wouldn’t say anything about the $2.8 million in banded cash investigators say they recovered in Salem.
Cartels have long had their fingers in Oregon’s drug trafficking. The business is lucrative – and it’s dangerous. The Interstate 5 corridor makes for a ready pipeline for this business from the southern border on up into Washington state.
We’ve been getting good questions from readers and reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian is chasing down leads. If you know something, help him out by emailing [email protected].
Ardeshir produced Salem Reporter’s initial story on this eye-popping case.
We handled a lot of other public safety news in recent days:
•A Salem man was charged in a nationwide sweep of people suspected of trafficking in child pornography.
•A Northeast Salem home was shot up in the middle of the night – 30 rounds at least.
•A street fight turned deadly outside a popular Salem pool hall, with one person dead and a teenager arrested.
Responses to such crimes start with a call to 911, and reporter Madeleine Moore spent an afternoon watching dispatchers at work. She reports 1,500 calls on average get handled.
In city government reporting:
•Ardeshir Tabrizian has an enterprising story about how settlements of lawsuits involving police officers are costing the city dearly. He shares what officials are doing about it.
•Volunteers on the city’s Budget Committee advanced a not-so-pretty budget for city services in the year ahead. Reporter Joe Siess captures the debate and what’s going ahead if a tax levy isn’t passed this month.
•Reporter Abbey McDonald chronicles how the city is pulling back from one of the community’s most pressing issues – the unhoused population. Budget cuts are being blamed.
•Voters have just a few more days to weigh in on the city of Salem’s proposed tax levy. Managing Editor Rachel Alexander pulled together an excellent Q&A for those still searching to understand the ballot measure. She clears the brush and explains the issues in clear language.
•Reminder: You can find all of our election coverage in one place as you work on your ballot.
In community news reporting:
•The proposed budget for the Salem-Keizer School District adds some new positions to help with student behavior.
•Reporter Alan Cohen explains the risks in Marion County of invasive species, especially garlic mustard. “I’ve seen how impactful garlic mustard is. It’s a small plant. It doesn’t look like it would be something to be too concerned about, until you’ve seen it really take off,” one expert told him.
•Photographer Laura Tesler caught the smiles and cheers at this year’s Awesome 3000 kids’ run. There’s a good chance you’ll recognize a runner or two in her gallery.
•A busy summer calendar awaits you. We rounded up some of the goings-on in the coming weeks so you can plan.
Obituary:
Don’t miss this delightfully-written obituary about Richard Allen Reece.
This was submitted through our easy-to-use obituary service.
HAVE A COMMENT? SUGGESTION?
Have thoughts about our reporting? A story we should do? A person we should profile? Or do you have questions about how we do our work? You’re welcome to send me an email – I read every one of them. Email: [email protected].
–Les Zaitz, Editor and co-founder
FOR YOUR INFORMATION: Salem Reporter’s social media policy
SUBSCRIBE – WE NEED YOU
We rely almost entirely on the support of subscribers to provide Salem news no one else covers.
A subscription to Salem Reporter is easy to set up in a secure setting. It’s affordable. The cost is $12 a month. Click HERE and in moments you’ll be a Salem Reporter subscriber. (You can take us for a test spin for just $12 – get three months for the price of one.)
Copyright © 2025 Salem Reporter. All rights reserved. |
Our mailing address is: 494 State St., #410 • Salem, Oregon 97301 |
You are receiving this email because you signed up through our website or participated in a promotion. |