Three people have been arrested after being busted with a total of 72,000 fentanyl pills in two separate instances in Yavapai County this week.
Thursday, Yavapai County Sheriff's Office deputies seized 20,000 fentanyl pills that were hidden in a storage compartment in the trunk of an SUV, from 21-year-old Andres Herrara during a traffic stop. Deputies say the pills have an estimated street value of $400,000.
Earlier in the week, YCSO says they also seized 52,000 fentanyl pills from a mother and father duo that hid the pills in a child car seat. The couple was arrested for trafficking the drugs that had an estimated street value of $1.4 million.
Officials say they have seen a 1,500% increase in fentanyl seizures compared to the last 6 months of 2020.
"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 in a statement. "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."
Deputies say Herrera is currently facing multiple drug charges including transportation and possession of narcotic drugs for sale.
