YAVAPAI COUNTY – On Thursday, April 1, 2021 at around 3:30 p.m., a Yavapai County K9 deputy conducting traffic enforcement along Interstate 17 pulled over the driver of an SUV for a traffic violation.
Deputies noticed multiple red flags when speaking to the driver, 21-year-old Andres Herrara of Phoenix. A search of the vehicle was conducted, and the deputy found 20,000 fentanyl pills, with an estimated street value of $400,000, hidden in a storage compartment in the trunk of the SUV.
Earlier this week, YCSO K9 deputies arrested a mom and dad team for trafficking 52,000 fentanyl pills hidden in a child car seat, bringing the total seized this week to 72,000 pills (estimated street value of more than $1.4 million).
“These drugs are flooding into our state from the southern border, making its way across the US. We have seen a 1500% increase so far this year when we compare our seizures to the last 6 months of 2020,” said Sheriff David Rhodes, Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office. “Since January 2021, our K9 unit alone has prevented more than 240,000 pills (estimated value of $4.8 million) from getting trafficked across Arizona and to the rest of the United States. That’s a dramatic increase from the only 15,000 seized between July and December 2020.”
Herrera is facing multiple drug charges to include transportation of narcotic drugs for sale, possession of narcotic drugs for sale, and possession of narcotic drugs.
“Or K9 team is doing a fantastic job in preventing these dangerous drugs from making it into our
community and communities across America,” said Sheriff David Rhodes. “While we do what we can to hurt the supply, there wouldn’t be a supply without a demand. So, we hope that if you know someone who suffers from addiction, please get them the help they need.”