This week, Arizona state troopers discovered more than 1100 pounds of illegal drugs during a commercial vehicle inspection.
The incident began on the morning of Monday, February 20, 2023, in Nogales, Arizona, when a trooper initiated a traffic stop on a commercial motor vehicle on Mariposa Road east of I-19.
While conducting the inspection, the trooper noticed “several indicators of criminal activity” and initiated a physical search of the vehicle.
Concealed within the trailer, Arizona authorities found 1,035 pounds of suspected methamphetamine, 73 pounds of suspected fentanyl pills (about 784,000 pills, and 21.75 pounds of suspected cocaine.
According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS), the thirty-eight year old truck driver from Nogales, Sonora, was arrested and booked into Santa Cruz County Detention Center on charges including possession and transportation of a narcotic drug for sale and possession and transportation of a dangerous drug for sale.
The street value of the methamphetamine seized is estimated at just over $1 million, while the estimated value for the fentanyl seized is approximately $3.1 million. The estimated street value of the cocaine is approximately $197,000, according to Arizona DPS.