In a recent incident on Colorado’s Western Slope, a 20-year-old woman from Arizona, Leslie Lopez-Rojas, was arrested after 60 pounds of pills believed to be counterfeit Oxycontin and possibly containing fentanyl were found in her car during a routine traffic stop. The pills were estimated to be worth over $2.6 million on the street, leading to charges of importing a schedule II controlled substance into the state, a class 1 drug felony, being filed against her. Along with two unidentified accomplices, Lopez-Rojas was taken into custody, with a bond set at $1 million cash.
The Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, in conjunction with investigators from the Garfield County SPEAR Task Force, discovered the contraband during the traffic stop on Interstate 70 near Parachute. While details about the specific traffic laws violated by Lopez-Rojas were not disclosed, it was noted that the blue M-30 pills found in her possession need further testing to confirm the presence of fentanyl.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency reported a record seizure of 79.5 million fentanyl pills in 2023, highlighting the pressing issue of fentanyl distribution. Authorities are currently investigating Lopez-Rojas’s involvement in this illicit activity, as fentanyl-related cases continue to rise. This incident underscores the ongoing challenges faced in combatting the trafficking of dangerous substances and the essential role of law enforcement in protecting communities from the harmful effects of such drugs.
Source
Photo credit www.cbsnews.com
