Arizona K9 sniffs out 70,000 fentanyl pills in vehicle carrying 2 small kids

PHOENIX – About 70,000 fentanyl pills were found in a car carrying two small children during a recent traffic stop in northern Arizona, authorities said.

A police dog helped discover the drugs after deputies pulled over a driver near Middle Verde Road and Interstate 17 in Camp Verde on Nov. 19, according to the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO). Camp Verde is a town about 90 miles north of downtown Phoenix.

After K9 Radar alerted handlers to the presence of narcotics, deputies searched the vehicle and found the fentanyl pills concealed inside.

Driver arrested on multiple counts related to fentanyl pills

Jose Urquianeriz and another adult were taken into custody. Two children under 6 years old were also in the car when it was pulled over.

Urquianeriz was booked into jail for possession of narcotic drugs, sales of narcotic drugs, transportation of narcotic drugs and child abuse, YCSO said.

“This seizure represents a substantial amount of poison being removed from our streets,” Yavapai County Sheriff David Rhodes said in a press release Tuesday. “The fact that a suspect was allegedly engaged in felony drug trafficking with two small children present highlights a dangerous level of recklessness and disregard for life.”

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