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Two arrested in another large meth bust on I-70

Officers confiscate 21 pounds of suspected meth, 1 pound of suspected fentanyl pills from vehicle of two Arizona residents

The Eagle County Sheriff’s Office and Vail Police confiscated 21 pounds of suspected meth and a pound of suspected fentanyl pills (pictured here) from the vehicle of two Arizona residents on Friday.
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Two Arizona residents have been booked into the Eagle County jail after police found 21 pounds of suspected methamphetamine and a pound of suspected fentanyl pills in their car during a traffic stop Friday.

The pair were stopped by the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office and the Vail Police Department for swerving and making a left lane violation on I-70 near Eagle, according to a press release.

After the driver consented to a vehicle search, police found several packages of suspected methamphetamine, a bag of fentanyl pills, and cocaine.



Fentanyl is a “powerful synthetic opioid” that is 80 to 100 times stronger than morphine, according to the release. The substance has been blamed for a significant increase in overdoses in many parts of the country, including Colorado.

A total of 21 pounds of methamphetamine was seized, the latest marker in a rising trend of drug busts along the I-70 corridor.

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Between mid-March and early May, police seized nearly 85 pounds of methamphetamine, heroin, oxycodone or fentanyl.

The vehicle’s driver, Angel Pereya-Rodriguez, 26, and passenger, Joanna Apodaca-Alonso, 23, both of Arizona are now facing several felony drug charges.

Angel Pereya-Rodriguez, 26, of Arizona.
Special to the Daily

These charges include possession of methamphetamine and fentanyl (class 4 felonies), possession of cocaine and distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl (class 1 felonies).

Police have also brought forward “special offender sentencing enhancement” charges on both individuals, which utilize a Colorado state statute to enhance drug charges to class 1 felonies in certain situations such as those that involve large quantities of drugs.

Joanna Apodaca-Alonso, 23, of Arizona.
Special to the Daily

Apodaca-Alonso is also being charged with one count of conspiracy to commit a felony, according to the release.

The drug bust was performed by the Gore Range Narcotics Interdiction Team or GRANITE, a multi-agency task force that includes the Sheriff’s Office and Vail police.

Anyone with information on this incident is urged to call the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office at (970) 328-8500 or the Eagle County Crime Stoppers at 970-328-7007. Tips can also be submitted online at P3Tips.com or through the free ‘P3 Tips’ mobile app.


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