A 26-year-old man stopped for speeding on a rural Nevada highway now faces federal drug-trafficking charges after authorities say they found more than 700 pounds of suspected narcotics in his pickup.
Francisco Joel Garcia Farias was pulled over Oct. 13 on US Highway 93 near Ash Springs, Nevada, where a Lincoln County sheriff’s deputy clocked him above the posted speed limit, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada. A narcotics detection dog alerted to the vehicle, prompting a search that uncovered 13 large storage totes packed with vacuum-sealed packages.
The haul included approximately 677 pounds of suspected methamphetamine and roughly 30 pounds of suspected fentanyl, prosecutors said. Field tests on selected samples came back positive for methamphetamine and fentanyl respectively.
“Fourteen kilograms of fentanyl alone represents approximately seven million potentially lethal two-milligram doses — enough to kill more than twice the population of Nevada,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada.
“These staggering quantities reflect a blatant disregard for human life, driven purely by profit,” Chattah added.
Based on that lethal-dose estimate, the fentanyl could potentially kill nearly twice the population of Los Angeles, everyone in Indiana or roughly the entire population of Paraguay. The combined street value of the seizure is approximately $2 million, according to prosecutors.
“The massive scale of this seizure underscores the staggering volume of illicit narcotics flowing into our communities from transnational criminal organizations,” Chattah said.
The Justice Department identified Garcia Farias as an illegal immigrant in its announcement of the charges. He is charged with possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture containing fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine.
If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life on each count, followed by five years of supervised release.
US Attorney General Todd Blanche framed the bust as a victory for interdiction efforts.
“Anyone who plans to release a deadly drug like fentanyl onto American streets will be prosecuted,” Blanche said. “Thanks to the diligent work of federal and local law enforcement, the lethal drugs allegedly possessed by this illegal alien are no longer endangering the lives of countless Americans.”
The investigation involved Homeland Security Investigations, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Task Force partners.
“The suspected fentanyl and methamphetamine seized in this case represent an extraordinary threat to public safety,” said John A. Condon, executive associate director of HSI.
“Through close coordination with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our Homeland Security Task Force partners, HSI will continue to identify, investigate and hold accountable those who profit from poisoning Americans and endangering our communities,” Condon continued.
Lincoln County Sheriff Derek Foremaster credited routine traffic enforcement and his K-9 team with sparking the major seizure.
“The allegations in this case underscore the serious threat illicit narcotics pose to rural communities and the traveling public,” Foremaster said.
“I am proud of the vigilance and professionalism demonstrated by our deputies, whose proactive traffic enforcement and trained K-9 deployment led to the identification of suspected narcotics and a coordinated response with Homeland Security Investigations,” he added.
Authorities recovered approximately 187 packages of a white crystalline substance weighing about 307.22 kilograms, along with 13 brick-shaped packages weighing approximately 14 kilograms.