4 Arizona Men In Custody For Smuggling Large Loads Of Drugs

drugs
Photo courtesy Arizona Department of Public Safety

Two Tucson men and two Phoenix men are in custody after getting caught smuggling a large loads of drugs.

According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, on the morning of Wednesday, January 18, a trooper initiated a traffic stop on the driver of a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck for moving violations on westbound Interstate 10 at milepost 239, near Marana.

During the traffic stop, a search of the vehicle was initiated and troopers discovered approximately 51.95 pounds of methamphetamine, 28.10 pounds of fentanyl pills, and 2.45 pounds of fentanyl powder.

The suspect driver, 27-year-old Carlos Calixtro-Varela, and passenger, 30-year-old Francisco Calixtro-Varela, were arrested and booked into the Pima County Jail on charges including possession, transportation, and sale of narcotic drugs and dangerous drugs.

Later the same day, another trooper stopped the driver of a Jeep SUV on northbound Interstate 17 at milepost 263, near Cordes Junction. Indicators of criminal activity were observed during the stop, and a drug detection canine alerted to the vehicle. During a subsequent vehicle search, troopers located approximately 36 pounds of fentanyl pills and 21.5 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in the vehicle.

The suspect driver, 32-year-old Jose Espinoza-Gil, and passenger, 42-year-old Luciano Zamudio, both from Phoenix, were arrested and booked into the Yavapai County Jail on charges including possession, transportation, and sale of narcotic drugs and dangerous drugs.

The fentanyl and methamphetamine in this incident were being smuggled from the Phoenix area to Denver, Colorado.

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