A woman is facing charges after a fentanyl drug bust last month.
On August 18, a 21-year-old woman was stopped on Interstate 10 in Pinal County for a traffic violation. The traffic stop led the Pinal County Sheriff's Office to contact the Phoenix DEA East Valley Drug Enforcement Task Force.
During the stop, a K9 trained in detecting drugs alerted deputies to the presence of narcotics coming from inside the vehicle, according to a criminal complaint with the U.S. Attorney's Office.
When PCSO deputies searched the vehicle they found a concealed compartment in the floorboard underneath the back seats. Inside, they found approximately 21 packages containing blue pills stamped M30.
Investigators seized approximately 360,000 pills from the vehicle.
The Chandler Police Department laboratory confirmed a sample of the pills contained fentanyl, according to court records.
The woman was arrested and charged on August 19, by criminal complaint for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
A conviction for this charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum term of life in prison.
The Phoenix DEA East Valley Drug Enforcement Task Force and the Pinal County Sheriff's Office are conducting the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney's Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
