UHP finds massive amounts of fentanyl and heroin during Coalville traffic stop

Photo: Unsplash // Michał Parzuchowski

COALVILLE, Utah — A woman now faces two federal felony charges after a routine highway stop on I-80 became a drug bust last week.

According to charging documents, on February 9 an officer with the Utah Highway Patrol pulled over a Nissan Frontier driven by Ruth Mery Argueta for an equipment violation.

The officer smelled burnt marijuana and asked Argueta if she had a medical marijuana card, which she did not. The officer then asked Argueta if she had any marijuana products in the vehicle, and she then showed the trooper some marijuana and a marijuana grinder.

When officers searched Argueta’s car they found close to 19 pounds of fake blue M30 pills, over one kilogram of heroin, a loaded firearm, $4,000 in cash, one ounce of raw marijuana, rolling papers, and a burnt marijuana joint within the passenger compartment of the truck.

DEA agents took the evidence to the Salt Lake City District Office where the blue pills tested positive for fentanyl.

Argueta has been charged by Utah’s United States Attorney with one count of Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute, and a second count of Possession of Heroin with Intent to Distribute.