CEDAR CITY — Two people were arrested on multiple drug charges on Wednesday following a traffic stop on Interstate 15 in Iron County.
Ashley Renee Maldonado, 37, and Anthony Angel Birano, 60, were booked into Iron County Jail on suspicion of multiple felony drug possession and distribution charges.
According to the probable cause statements filed in support of their arrests, a Utah Highway Patrol trooper was heading southbound on I-15 near mile marker 44 at approximately 10:35 a.m. on Wednesday when he observed a silver Ford Edge SUV rapidly approaching his vehicle from behind.
“I activated my rear radar and clocked it at 100 mph,” the trooper wrote in the affidavit, adding that he activated his emergency lights and got the vehicle to pull over, first into the median and then onto the shoulder of the roadway.
Upon making contact with the female driver, later identified as Maldonado, the trooper said he could smell the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle’s interior.
Meanwhile, the passenger, later identified as Birano, who was also the registered owner of the Ford Edge, reportedly told the trooper that he had been given a marijuana cigarette by a stranger at a gas station.
“I then explained to them that possession of marijuana without a medical card was against the law,” the trooper wrote. “I advised them that I would be searching the vehicle.”
During the subsequent search of the SUV, troopers found 6.7 ounces of methamphetamine, 8 grams of marijuana, 7 grams of fentanyl pills and 2 grams of cocaine powder. The trooper reported that the various drugs later were tested and found to be positive for their suspected substances.
Officers also found more than $3,500 in cash inside the vehicle, along with a cashier’s check for $10,732, which were seized as evidence. The Ford Edge, which bore temporary Nevada tags, was also impounded.
Both Birano and Maldonado provided Hawaii driver licenses when asked for identification but told troopers they were temporarily living in Las Vegas.
Both suspects have extensive criminal histories that include multiple convictions for drug trafficking, the arresting trooper wrote, adding that neither suspect appears to have any ties to Utah.
As of Friday, both Maldonado and Birano are being held without bail in Iron County Jail on suspicion of multiple drug charges, including felony counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Both are awaiting their initial court appearances.
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.
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