3 men arrested in Cedar City after 8.5 pounds of fentanyl pills found in car following UHP traffic stop

Utah Highway Patrol vehicle, Cedar City, Utah, Jan. 8, 2022 | File photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

CEDAR CITY — Three men were arrested on drug trafficking charges in Cedar City after a Utah Highway Patrol trooper found more than eight pounds of fentanyl pills inside their vehicle during a traffic stop Sunday night.

According to the probable cause statement filed in support of the driver’s arrest, the trooper had observed a red sedan driving slowly on northbound Interstate 15 just north of Cedar City, shortly before 10 p.m. Sunday.

The vehicle had “significant window tint on its front windows that appeared illegal,” the trooper wrote in the affidavit, adding that he then initiated a traffic stop, getting the driver to pull over near mile marker 64. The car reportedly had a temporary license plate issued in Colorado.

“The front window tint of the vehicle would later be measured at 8%, well below the legal limits of Utah and Colorado,” the document added.

The trooper indicated in the report that he noticed a strong odor of alcohol coming from inside the vehicle and could see several beer cans on the floor. 

“During the course of my traffic stop, I began to become suspicious of further criminal activity,” the trooper wrote. “The front passenger and the driver both told me that there was some marijuana inside the vehicle.”

During a subsequent search, officers reportedly found hidden behind the carpet in the trunk two packages containing plastic baggies filled with blue “M-30” pills consistent with fentanyl, in addition to a large vacuum-sealed bag of the same type of pills inside a speaker box. The total weight of all the pills was approximately 8.6 pounds, the trooper wrote.

Stock image of fentanyl | Photo courtesy of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, St. George News

Also found during the search were a handgun, a bag containing more than $3,000 cash and jewelry, and a mug containing marijuana, the charging documents state.

The driver, who is described as being an undocumented alien from Mexico, was identified as Jaciel Valdez Higuera, 30. He was booked into Iron County Jail early Monday on suspicion of one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, a second-degree felony, and possession of a firearm by a restricted person, also a second-degree felony, and a window tint violation, an infraction.

Additionally, the two passengers in the car were booked into Iron County Jail early Monday. They were identified as Jesus Pena, 31, and Abdiel Higuera Macias, 31. Both also face felony charges of drug possession with intent to distribute and possession of drug paraphernalia. Pena also faces counts related to weapon possession and having an open container of alcohol in the vehicle, while Macias was also cited for not wearing a seat belt.

As of Tuesday afternoon, none of the three men had made an initial court appearance.

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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