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Arizona DPS troopers bust over 160 pounds of drugs in 3 traffic stops
DPS troopers had a busy week in mid-January busting drivers transporting fentanyl and meth.
www.azfamily.com
Arizona DPS troopers bust over 160 pounds of drugs in 3 traffic stops
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/3IIUIB5DBJESRF2EQ6TCULUSYM.png "Arizona Department of Safety troopers made large drug busts during three separate traffic stops...")
Arizona Department of Safety troopers made large drug busts during three separate traffic stops in one week.(Courtesy of the Arizona Department of Safety)
By Kit Silavong
Published: Jan. 27, 2023 at 12:23 PM MST|Updated: 10 hours ago
PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — Arizona state troopers confiscated over 160 pounds of drugs after three traffic stops just days apart last week. The drugs were being transported from California to Oklahoma, from Tucson to Marana, and from the Phoenix area to Denver.
On Jan. 18, a DPS trooper stopped a Chevrolet Silverado on Interstate 10 in the Pima County town of Marana, northwest of Tucson. The trooper noticed “numerous indicators of criminal activity” and searched the truck. Almost 52 pounds of methamphetamine, 28 pounds of fentanyl pills and almost 2.5 pounds of fentanyl powder were found in the vehicle, according to a DPS news release. Troopers arrested the driver, 27-year-old Carlos Calixtro-Varela, and passenger, 30-year-old Francisco Calixtro-Varela, both residents of Tucson. They were booked into the Pima County Jail on charges including possession, transportation, and sale of narcotics and dangerous drugs.
Later that same day, another trooper stopped a Jeep SUV on northbound I-17, near Cordes Lake. During the stop, troopers with a drug-sniffing dog found about 36 pounds of fentanyl pills and 21.5 pounds of meth in the SUV, according to the release. The driver, 32-year-old Jose Espinoza-Gil, and passenger, 42-year-old Luciano Zamudio, both from Phoenix, were arrested and booked into the Yavapai County Jail on charges including possession, transportation, and sale of narcotics and dangerous drugs.
On Jan 21, troopers stopped a Mazda SUV on I-40 in Holbrook, in Navajo County. During the stop, troopers found almost 26 pounds of fentanyl pills inside spare tires in the SUV. Troopers arrested 28-year-old Jesus Hernandez-Hernandez, of Manson, WA. He was booked into the Navajo County Jail on charges including possession and transportation of narcotics for sale.