Highway Patrol makes 3 drug busts on I-15 over 24 hours in Iron County

Closeup of Utah Highway Patrol patrol vehicle, Cedar City, Utah, May 14, 2022 | File photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

CEDAR CITY — Five people are in jail following three separate drug pipeline busts within a 24-hour period made during traffic stops on Interstate 15 in Iron County.

Stock photo.| Photo by sanfel/iStock/Getty Images Plus, St. George News

The first incident took place just after 6:15 a.m. Tuesday when a Utah Highway Patrol trooper pulled over the driver of a black sedan they said was not staying in a single lane while traveling northbound on Interstate 15 near mile marker 63, just north of Cedar City.

During the ensuing traffic stop, according to the report of the incident, the trooper began to be suspicious of criminal activity and deployed his K-9 service dog. The K-9 detected the presence of drugs in the vehicle. Approximately 12.5 pounds of heroin was found hidden in the vehicle’s trunk, according to the probable cause statements filed in support of the arrests of driver Victor Vega Arredondo, 22, and passenger Alejandra Olvera, 24.

Later that same night, just before 9 p.m., a different UHP trooper pulled over a northbound vehicle with California license plates near mile marker 65 on I-15 for a window tint violation, following too closely and making an abrupt lane change.

The driver was found to have a methamphetamine pipe in plain view in his lap, according to the charging documents. Approximately 5.7 ounces of meth and some marijuana were reportedly found inside the vehicle, along with a scale, plastic baggies and other paraphernalia. In addition, a .40-caliber handgun that was confirmed to have been stolen was located inside the trunk.

The driver, who allegedly refused to submit to a chemical test, was subsequently identified as 63-year-old William Randolph Harloff. According to the probable cause statement filed in support of his arrest, Harloff is a convicted felon on parole. Also placed under arrest and booked into Iron County Jail on suspicion of similar drug and weapons charges was the vehicle’s passenger, identified as 43-year-old Leaso Tufuga Jr.

In a file photo for illustrative purposes only, the Utah Highway Patrol displays narcotics it says were discovered with the aid of a K-9 unit on northbound I-15, Cedar City, Utah, Dec. 6, 2019 | Photo courtesy Utah Highway Patrol, St. George News

Then, a few hours later, another UHP trooper made a traffic stop at mile marker 67 on northbound I-15. The vehicle in question during the stop just before 1 a.m. Wednesday was a red Ford Focus with California plates that reportedly had window tint that was darker than legally allowed.

Following the deployment of a K-9 officer and a probable-cause search of the car, approximately two kilograms of cocaine were found inside the vehicle’s front doors. The driver of that car, identified as Fabricio Alejandro Sanchez Espinoza, 43, was subsequently arrested and booked into Iron County Jail on drug possession and distribution charges.

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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