MCSO Officers Seize 110,000 Fentanyl Pills During Traffic Stop

One person was arrested and 110,000 fentanyl pills were seized Tuesday in what District Attorney Dan Rubinstein called “one of the largest fentanyl seizures this jurisdiction has ever seen.”

Francisco Romo-Verduzco, 40, was stopped by the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office at the Mack exit of Interstate 70 after police said the vehicle he was driving failed to come to a complete stop at a stop sign.

The arrest warrant states that Romo-Verduzco, who had a Mexican passport, speaks little or no English. He used an interpreter during the trial Wednesday.

According to the affidavit, Romo-Verduzco consented to a voluntary search, during which deputies reported finding 14 bags of small blue pills under the rear storage compartment and eight additional bags behind a molding.

Each bag contained about 5,000 pills, police said. The total weight was 27 pounds.

According to the affidavit, during an interview with Homeland Security Investigations, Romo-Verduszo admitted to being responsible for transporting the pills to Chicago — and that he was present when they were hidden.

Romo-Verduzco was charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and importation of fentanyl.

Judge Michael Grattan set $100,000 cash bail for Romo-Verduzco on Wednesday, noting the amount of fentanyl found by police posed a risk to public safety.

Rubinstein has indicated he intends to refile the charges in federal court.