Over $1.1 million worth of fentanyl seized in Utah County

Photo: Fentanyl and cash seized. Photo:Utah County Sheriff

UTAH COUNTY, Utah – A deputy seized over 112,250 fentanyl pills during a traffic stop on I-15 near Spanish Fork. The 25 pounds of fentanyl pills are estimated to have a street value worth over $1.1 million.

At approximately 1:30 a.m. on July 5, a deputy patrolling I-15 northbound near Spanish Fork apprehended a Toyota Tacoma pickup driven by Enrique Rivera Castro, age 31, of Herriman, for traffic violations. The driver drove for over a mile before yielding and stopping at the side of the freeway near the Spanish Fork Main Street exit at mile marker 257.

The deputy requested a K9 to search the pickup outside due to the driver’s behavior. The presence of narcotics within the pickup elicited a positive response from the K9. The deputy later searched the pickup and discovered ten containers of clear plastic, each containing approximately 2.5 pounds of blue tablets. These pills are often identified as illegal fentanyl.

When all of the evidence was compiled, the pills weighed a total of 24.75 pounds or 11,250 grams. There are approximately 10 pills per gram of this type of drug, for a total of approximately 112,250 tablets, or 112,250 dosages.

These pills have a street value of over $1.1 million. Even one dose of these particular fentanyl pills can be lethal. A small amount of cocaine was also discovered by the deputy when the truck was searched.

Rivera Castro was arrested and booked into jail on the following charges: Possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, 2nd-degree felony, Possession of a controlled substance, 3rd-degree felony, Altering vehicle compartment for contraband, class A misdemeanor, No Insurance, class C misdemeanor, No valid driver license, infraction, Fail to operate in a single lane, infraction, Improper license plate illumination, infraction.

Rivera Castro has been ordered by a Judge to be held without bail.