On Thursday, April 13, 2023, Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) officers arrested the driver of a Chevrolet pickup truck for a motionless violation on Interstate 8 eastbound near Milepost 47 in Welton, Arizona. made it stop. The troopers noticed signs of criminal activity during the stop and drug sniffing dogs were stationed and alerted to the vehicle. During a subsequent vehicle search, troopers found approximately 109.4 pounds of fentanyl tablets suspected of being hidden inside the vehicle.
The suspect’s driver, Juan Jose Rivera Jr., a 21-year-old Phoenix resident, was arrested on charges including possessing and transporting drugs for sale and was taken to the Yuma County Jail.
The estimated street value of the seized fentanyl tablets is approximately $1.9 million.
