A speeding stop this month led to a record fentanyl bust for the Central Valley, with about $3 million worth of pills seized along Interstate 5 in Fresno County, according to the Merced area California Highway Patrol.
A CHP officer on Jan. 14 stopped a 2021 Volkswagen Tiguan on suspicion of speeding on I-5 near Russell Avenue.
The officer noticed several factors that led him to believe the driver, Joseph Hill, 31, of Seattle, and passenger Marie Bright, 27, of Federal Way, Washington, were engaged in criminal activity.
CHP K9 “Beny” was asked to sniff the exterior of the vehicle and was alerted to the odor of narcotics, according to a Friday social media post by the CHP Merced office.
A search revealed about 75 pounds of counterfeit Oxycodone pills believed to contain fentanyl, the CHP stated.
“The street value of these pills is approximately $3,000,000,” according to the post. “This is the largest fentanyl bust in Valley history.”
Hill and Bright were arrested on suspicion of possession of cocaine for sale and illegal transportation of a controlled substance.
Source: Mercedes Sun
