Colorado Task Force Seizes More Than 23 Pounds of Cocaine During Traffic Stop on I-70 Near Gypsum

One person was taken into custody, while 23 pounds of cocaine were seized by a Colorado task force during a traffic stop.

On Wednesday, around 8 p.m., the Gore Range Narcotics Interdiction Team conducted a traffic stop on I-70 near Gypsum.

The driver was stopped by a uniformed deputy and a K9 was eventually deployed, which alerted the vehicle that it tested positive for narcotics.

A search led to the discovery of an AR-15 magazine with blanks, a 1911 pistol magazine, .45-caliber bullets, three cell phones and “10 brick-shaped packages weighing over 23 pounds,” according to the GRANITE team.

The packages tested positive for cocaine, leading to the arrest of the driver, identified as Angel Gabriel Valadez, 24.

Valadez is currently being held on $100,000 bail on two counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance, special offender (cocaine) and conspiracy.

The Gore Range Drug Interdiction Team is a multi-jurisdictional drug task force comprised of local law enforcement partners and detectives from the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office and Vail Police Department.