Two individuals, Dominic Jared Arias Aceves, 22, and Cristo Alexander Urias Salazar, 32, face serious federal charges following an indictment by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City for allegedly possessing a massive quantity of fentanyl pills, a powerful synthetic opioid that has been linked to numerous overdose deaths across the country.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice from the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Utah, two Arizona residents were initially charged on October 23. The investigation was led by the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force, which had obtained a search warrant for a hotel room in Salt Lake City where the men were staying. During the execution of the warrant on October 21, agents seized 3,952 grams of fentanyl, a smaller amount of methamphetamine, and various items identified as drug paraphernalia.

Both Aceves and Salazar have been charged with the possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, with their initial court appearance on the indictment set for November 8, in the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse, illustrating the ongoing efforts by law enforcement to combat the spread of illicit drugs.

This case is a component of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces operation, which aims to use a multi-agency approach to disrupt and dismantle high-level criminal organizations threatening the U.S., the case spearheaded by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Utah with the help from the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force is part of a broader initiative to tackle the opioid crisis that has gripped many communities.