Two Arizona men and a California resident all remain in jail in the Pope County Detention Center following their arrest by the Arkansas State Police with 15 pounds of Fentanyl with an an estimated street value of over $6 million.
The three men appeared at a hearing on Friday accused of Trafficking a Controlled Substance, a Class Y Felony.
Fentanyl, also known as fentanil, is an opioid pain medication with a rapid onset and short duration of action.and is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine,[
Juan Avila-Gutierrez, 36 of Palm Springs, California, Mario Irasola-Cruz, 33 of San Luis, Arizona, Heriberto Felix-Ruiz, 45 of San Luis, Arizona appeared in a felony bond hearing on Friday, September 29, following their arrest by the Arkansas State Police.
According to a report by the ASP on Thursday, September 28 at 9:17 a.m., an Arkansas State Trooper stopped the driver of a silver 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe near the 73 mile marker of eastbound Interstate 40 between Llamar and London.
The trooper conducted the stop after observing the SUV swerve and cross the center line. As the trooper made contact with the occupants of the vehicle the men were questioned about their destination and why they were traveling and all gave conflicting stories. Heriberto Ruiz, granted consent to search the vehicle.
The serach yielded six black duct-taped bundles of suspected Fentanyl in the spare tire which field tested positive. All of the suspects later admitted they knew of tghe presence of the contraband in the vehicle.
The three men were taken into custody and transported to the Pope County Detention Center where a felony hold was placed on their probable cause hearing on Friday.
The bond was set for $750,000 for each of the three suspects to “guarantee their attendance at trial.” The three men are set to appear for a plea arraignment hearing to be held on November 13.
