Deputies working with the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office and Gore Range Narcotics Interdiction Team say they seized a large amount of drugs Thursday morning after stopping two vehicles for speeding and lane violations on Interstate 70, and determined both vehicles were traveling together.

Stopped near Gypsum at about 10 a.m., the drivers of both vehicles gave deputies permission to search their cars, and a K-9 alerted to one of the vehicles. Deputies located and seized approximately 21 pounds of suspected methamphetamine, 2.2 pounds of suspected heroin and 0.25 pounds of suspected fentanyl pills, according to the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office.

Two suspects were arrested in the incident: Iran Obed Torres, 19, of Phoenix, Arizona, and Guadalupe Valdez Jr., 21, of Tolleson, Arizona.

Torres faces preliminary charges of three counts of unlawful distribution of a schedule 1 or 2 controlled substance, a class 1 drug felony; three counts of unlawful possession of a schedule 1 or 2 controlled substance, a class 4 drug felony; and 3 counts of a special offender sentencing enhancement, a class 1 drug felony.

Valdez faces the same preliminary charges, as well as one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

Thursday’s seizure on April Fool’s Day marks the second large drug bust on Interstate 70 in Eagle County in less than a month — and the second on a holiday.



First Posted At https://www.vaildaily.com/news/crime/drug-trafficking-suspects-couldnt-fool-k-9-team-in-april-fools-day-stop-on-i-70/
Created May 1, 2021 at 11:29AM