Goodyear K9 sniffs out $96K in ‘Rolex’-stamped fentanyl bricks hidden inside secret car compartment
A compressed brick of powder embossed with the Rolex logo next to a field scanner that tested positive for fentanyl and 4-fluorofentanyl following an Oct. 14 traffic stop in Goodyear. (Goodyear Police Department)
GOODYEAR, Ariz. - Two suspects have pleaded not guilty to felony drug charges after Goodyear police uncovered more than 13 pounds of fentanyl bricks stamped with the Rolex logo inside a hidden vehicle compartment during an Interstate 10 traffic stop.
Marco Ayala, 27, and Emely Varela, 24, are each being held on a $200,000 bond following the Oct. 14 bust, which netted roughly six kilograms of fentanyl with an estimated street value between $72,000 and $96,000, according to the Goodyear Police Department. Photos released by investigators show the six wrapped packages were labeled "Rolex" in black marker on the outside, while the white compressed drug bricks inside were embossed with the luxury watchmaker's crown emblem and lettering.
Emely Varela, 24 (left), and Marco Ayala, 27 (right), face felony drug trafficking and conspiracy charges. (Maricopa County Sheriff's Office)
What we know:
Police said the investigation began when officers pulled the vehicle over for a civil traffic violation near Interstate 10 and North Sarival Avenue. While speaking with Ayala and Varela, officers noticed signs of possible drug smuggling and called a Goodyear Police K-9 unit to the scene.
After the police dog alerted to the exterior of the car, officers searched the vehicle and found a hidden, aftermarket compartment containing the six "Rolex"-branded bricks. A field scan of the white powder returned a positive result for fentanyl and 4-fluorofentanyl, police said. Investigators estimated the narcotics are worth between $12,000 and $16,000 per kilogram on the street, depending on purity and quality.
Wrapped packages labeled "Rolex" inside a hidden, aftermarket vehicle compartment discovered by Goodyear police during an Oct. 14 traffic stop near Interstate 10 and Sarival Avenue. (Goodyear Police Department)
Following the traffic stop, law enforcement officers located and arrested Ayala and Varela in Yuma. Both suspects were booked into the Yuma County Jail and later extradited back to Maricopa County to face prosecution.
Ayala, who has a long history of narcotics cases, and Varela were each charged with four felony counts:
- Possession or use of narcotic drugs
- Possession of narcotic drugs for sale
- Transportation of narcotic drugs for sale
- Conspiracy
What we don't know:
Investigators have not said where the fentanyl originated, where the suspects were taking the shipment, or why the bricks were stamped with the Rolex logo.
What's next:
A judge ordered a $200,000 bond for each suspect on Oct. 21. Both Ayala and Varela entered not guilty pleas in Maricopa County Superior Court on Nov. 4, and their trial is scheduled to begin in February 2027.
Map of where the bust occurred in Goodyear:
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from the Goodyear Police Department, the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, and Maricopa County Superior Court records.