Arizona troopers seize $1.7M in fentanyl, other illegal drugs after I-10 traffic stop

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Fentanyl, meth and heroin were seized from a Dodge pickup truck after an Arizona DPS investigation.

MARANA, Ariz. - Arizona Dept. of Public Safety troopers seized $1.7 million in fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine and more after a traffic stop northwest of Tucson on Thursday, officials said.

The investigation began when a trooper pulled over a Ford pickup truck on Interstate 10 near Marana on Nov. 4 and discovered more than 34 pounds of fentanyl pills inside of the vehicle.

Mario Quinonez Osuna, a 30-year-old man from California, was arrested for transporting narcotic drugs for sale.

This arrest led to a search warrant on another truck. Officials did not disclose how they discovered the connection to the second vehicle.

In the second truck, troopers found 37 more pounds of blue fentanyl pills, along with 8 pounds of meth, 7 pounds of heroin and nearly 5 pounds of an unidentified substance. Authorities said the estimated street value of the drugs totaled to more than $1.7 million.

Another suspect, identified as 27-year-old Kevin Valdez from New River, was arrested for drug transportation charges.

"Please talk to your loved ones about the dangers of ingesting these blue pills," officials said. "Just one pill could prove deadly."