ST. GEORGE — Two men were arrested last week after nearly 200,000 fentanyl pills were recovered during a traffic stop on northbound Interstate 15 just north of Cedar City.
On the morning of May 28, a Utah Highway Patrol trooper said he noticed a vehicle with window tint on one of the brake lights and dark window tint on the window heading north on I-15 near milepost 59. The license plate was also only partially visible due to it being loosely secured to the car’s bumper, according to charging documents filed with the court.
The trooper conducted a traffic stop just north of Cedar City. The driver was identified as 21-year-old Omar Torres Arroyo, while the passenger was identified as Eric Arredondo, 19, both of whom presented troopers with their passports and were traveling through Southern Utah from California.
The driver reportedly told police they were heading to Salt Lake City to visit his girlfriend but was not sure where she lived. He said he planned to call her when he got there to get a more specific address and that they were also planning to visit his father, police said.
The passenger gave conflicting information as to how long they were going to be in Salt Lake City, the trooper noted.
With suspicions mounting, the trooper deployed a K-9 to conduct a free-air sniff around the exterior of the vehicle. When the animal indicated the possible presence of narcotics, both occupants were told to exit the vehicle so a search could be conducted.
During the search, troopers recovered more than 21 pounds of fentanyl pills that were found in “natural voids” throughout the vehicle, the report states.
Both suspects were arrested and transported to the Iron County Jail on a second-degree felony count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and misdemeanor charges of possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia.
The driver also faces several traffic-equipment violations.
The trooper also requested that both suspects be held without bail, citing the men were not from Utah and were “likely” to flee the court’s jurisdiction if released. The request was approved, and the charges were filed Wednesday. Both men remain in custody at the time of this report.
This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
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