On Thursday, August 31, 2023, shortly after 10 p.m., an Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) trooper initiated a traffic stop on the driver of a silver Honda Accord sedan for a non-moving violation on northbound State Route 87 at milepost 197, near Fort McDowell.

The trooper observed several indications of criminal activity during the stop, and a subsequent search of the vehicle revealed approximately 109.6 pounds of methamphetamine and 80.9 pounds of fentanyl pills hidden in suitcases.

The suspect driver, 25-year-old Jorge Baldovinos-Jimenez, was booked into the Maricopa County Jail on charges including possession and transportation of a dangerous drug for sale and possession and transportation of a narcotic drug for sale.

Investigators believe the drugs were being transported from Phoenix to the Denver area. The estimated street value of the drugs seized is approximately $119,000 for the methamphetamine and approximately $1.2 million for the fentanyl.