Man arrested in Cedar City after 4 pounds of fentanyl pills found during traffic stop

File photo of Utah Highway Patrol vehicle near Cedar City, Utah, March 12, 2022 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

CEDAR CITY — A 34-year-old California man was arrested Sunday in Cedar City after law enforcement officers found approximately 4 pounds of suspected fentanyl pills hidden in the dashboard of his car.

2021 file photo of Iron County Jail, Cedar City, Utah, Nov. 24, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Mauro Herrera was booked into Iron County Jail on Sunday afternoon on suspicion of several counts, including possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana and paraphernalia, possession of counterfeit money and driving on a revoked or suspended license.

Herrera also has an active, extraditable federal warrant out of California, according to charging documents filed with 5th District Court.

According to the probable cause statement filed in support of his arrest, shortly after 5 a.m. Sunday, a Utah Highway Patrol trooper observed a northbound vehicle that appeared to have window tinting darker than legally allowed.

The driver of the vehicle also failed to signal for two seconds prior to changing lanes, wrote the trooper, who added that he initiated a traffic stop, with the driver exiting I-15 at Exit 62 and pulling over on Cedar City’s Main Street at the north interchange.

“Upon initial approach to the passenger window of the vehicle, I detected the odor of burnt marijuana emanating from the passenger compartment of the vehicle,” the arresting trooper wrote. “I asked Mr. Herrera about the odor, and he informed me that his brother smokes in the car and showed me some marijuana cigarette buds in the ashtray of the vehicle.”

The initial search of the vehicle yielded user amounts of both marijuana and methamphetamine, the trooper wrote.

“Due to the driver’s response to some of my initial questions at the window, I was suspicious of additional criminal activity,” wrote the trooper, adding that he then filed for a warrant to search three of the four cell phones that were found inside the car.

“The warrant was granted, and a search of the phones yielded significant evidence that the individual was involved in the trafficking of large quantities of a controlled substance, or several controlled substances,” the trooper wrote.

A subsequent search of the vehicle yielded the following, according to UHP:

  • Four pounds of presumed fentanyl pills concealed in the dash of the vehicle, whose packaging was identical to that pictured in the photos stored on the subject’s phone
  • Drug paraphernalia, including a pipe used for the consumption of meth
  • A counterfeit $100 bill

Herrera, who is being held without bail in Iron County Jail, had an initial court appearance scheduled on Monday.

This report is based on statements from court documents and law enforcement officials and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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