Last week, an Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) trooper initiated a traffic stop on the driver of a white Ford F-150 pickup truck on eastbound Interstate 40, at milepost 203, east of Flagstaff. During the traffic stop, the trooper observed multiple indicators of criminal activity. A subsequent search of the truck led to the discovery of approximately 24 pounds of fentanyl pills and 2.5 pounds of compressed fentanyl powder.

The suspect driver, 53-year-old Celso Sanchez-Chavarria of Denver, Colorado, was arrested and booked into the Coconino County Jail on charges including possession, transportation, and sale of narcotic drugs.

Investigators determined the fentanyl was picked up in the Phoenix area and was intended for delivery in the Denver area.