IRON COUNTY, Utah (ABC4) – Two people have been arrested after police found $2.75 million worth of drugs in the suspect’s car during a traffic stop.
Police initially pulled over a car that had illegal blue lights and illegal car window tints in Iron County on Sunday night, arrest records show.
An officer grew suspicious of criminal activity while working on the citation, calling another officer to the scene who deployed his drug detection K-9 on the suspect’s car.
When the K-9 indicated to police that there were drugs in the car, the driver, 41-year-old Manuel Hernandez Montes, denied that there were drugs in the car.
Police had Montes move to the back seat of the car, while the passenger, 40-year-old Azucena Nevarez, was moved to the back of a patrol car before searching the car.
During the search, police found a box that contained 20 counterfeit M30 pills that contain fentanyl.
Montes admitted to police that he and Nevarez were picking up drugs and transporting them to Colorado, a probable cause document states.
The total weight of the drugs found in the suspect’s car was 25 pounds, which is approximately 110,000 pills.
A records check also found that Montes did not have a driver’s license.
Police say the street value of the drugs found is $2.75 million.
Both Montes and Nevarez were booked into Iron County Jail on charges of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, possession of fentanyl, and paraphernalia. Montes was also booked for driving without a license, a tint violation, and the unapproved car lights.
