Police arrest 2 after traffic stop near Cedar City yields 11,000 fentanyl pills, 1 pound of meth

File photo of Utah Highway Patrol vehicle on Interstate 15 near Cedar City, Utah, May 25, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

CEDAR CITY — Two people were arrested following a recent traffic stop north of Cedar City after responding officers reportedly found more than 11,000 fentanyl pills and other drugs inside the vehicle.

According to a probable cause statement filed in support of their arrest, shortly before 11:30 a.m. Sunday, a Utah Highway Patrol trooper observed the vehicle following another vehicle too closely on northbound Interstate 15, near mile marker 69.

“The vehicle also had window tint that was darker than the legal limit, at approximately 36%,” the arresting trooper wrote.

As the trooper initiated the traffic stop, the vehicle immediately pulled over to the right, the affidavit states.

“Upon initial approach to the vehicle, I detected the odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle,” the trooper wrote, adding that a probable cause search was then performed.

Police say during the search they found several jars of leafy green substance consistent with marijuana, one pound of a white crystal-like substance that later tested positive for methamphetamine, thousands of suspected fentanyl pills and “an extremely large amount of paraphernalia,” including pipes, needles and syringes.

Police initially found approximately 1,000 pills in the vehicle’s trunk, then conducted a further search after the car was impounded, at which point around 10,000 more pills were found inside a panel in the passenger side door, the charging documents allege. 

Booked into Iron County Jail were Marcos Cervantes, 47, who had been driving the vehicle, and his female passenger, Guadalupe Soriano, 25. Both are California residents, based on the identification they provided.

Photo of fentanyl pills for illustrative purposes only | Photo courtesy of the Utah Poison Control, St. George News

During a subsequent police interview, the driver admitted he had been using meth to stay awake during the drive.

Cervantes faces two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, a second-degree felony, one count of DUI involving a measurable amount of controlled substance, a class B misdemeanor, one misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia and one count of failure to maintain a safe following distance, an infraction.

Meanwhile, Soriano faces two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, a second-degree felony, and two misdemeanor counts of possession of drugs and paraphernalia.

Both Cervantes and Soriano made their initial court appearance Tuesday before 5th District Judge Matthew L. Bell. Their next scheduled appearance is a roll call hearing next Tuesday.

This report is based on statements from court documents and law enforcement officials and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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