April 7, 2023 5:00 p.m.
A bust by the Douglas Interagency Narcotics Team early Thursday yielded what DINT Commander Lieutenant Rick McArthur called “a huge amount of both methamphetamine and fentanyl, including a large amount of suspected carfentanil”.
Two Honduran men were arrested. McArthur said detectives have been investigating this organization for some time and have developed information indicating they are involved with large scale drug trafficking crimes.
The individuals were contacted as they were sitting in their vehicle in the parking lot of a business in the 700 block of Northwest Garden Valley Boulevard at approximately 2:45 a.m. McArthur said the men had just arrived from California. Both were detained, pending application for a search warrant for their vehicle.
Detectives obtained the search warrant and upon searching the vehicle located approximately:
*1,614 grams, which is 3.5 pounds, of suspected meth
*2,000 grams, which is 2 kilos or 4.4 pounds, of suspected fentanyl
*1,000 grams, which is 1 kilo or 2.2 pounds, of suspected carfentanil
McArthur noted that fentanyl is a dangerous synthetic opioid that is the dominate drug of choice among opiate addicts today. McArthur said fentanyl has been the driving factor in the astronomical rise in overdose cases across our country, including in Douglas County. Fentanyl is estimated to be 50 times more potent than heroin.
McArthur said carfentanil is a fentanyl analog, but is estimated to be more than 100 times more potent than fentanyl. It is used in the veterinary industry, usually on large mammals, such as elephants. Carfentanil is odorless and tasteless, and is often cut into other drugs like fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin. McArthur said the dangers of the drug cannot be overstated.
32-year old Jorge Alvarenga and 26-year old Daniel Mendoza-Archaga were both jailed on charges of unlawful possession, manufacture and delivery of both meth and a Controlled Substance Schedule II. Each was held on seven charges and detained on $1 million dollars bail.