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SPANISH FORK — A routine traffic stop turned into a million-dollar drug bust in Utah County on Wednesday.
About 1:30 a.m., a Utah County sheriff's deputy attempted to pull over a Toyota Tacoma on I-15 near Spanish Fork for a minor equipment violation.
"While following the vehicle I also observed it fail to maintain a consistent speed and fail to maintain a single travel lane on multiple occasions," the deputy wrote in a police booking affidavit.
But even after the deputy turned on his emergency lights, "the driver drove for well over a mile before finally yielding and stopping at the side of the freeway," according to the sheriff's office.
Due to the driver's behavior, which the deputy believed could have been influenced by recent drug usage, a police K-9 was used to sniff the exterior of the pickup. The dog indicated the possible presence of drugs in the vehicle.
"During a search of the vehicle, officers located a hidden compartment that contained an estimated 25 pounds of blue pills," the affidavit states. "The estimated 25 pounds of pills would equate to approximately 115,000 individual doses, far more than one user would ever possess. The estimated street value of 25 pounds is well over $1 million dollars."
The pills were determined to be fentanyl. As he was being booked into the Utah County Jail, deputies found cocaine in the driver's underwear, the affidavit states.
Enrique Rivera Castro, 31, of Herriman, was arrested for investigation of drug possession with intent to distribute, drug possession, altering a vehicle compartment to transport drugs, and three traffic infractions including never obtaining a driver's license. Deputies have requested that Castro be held in jail without the possibility of posting bail.
