
During a routine traffic stop in Nephi last Friday, officers seized an estimated $918,815 worth of methamphetamine intended for nationwide distribution. According to KUTV, Nephi City Police Department officials found 100 one-pound packages of meth after observing "several indicators consistent with drug trafficking activity."
A 37-year-old Illinois man, Carlos Guadalupe Navarro Ornelas, was subsequently arrested in connection to the drug bust. Officers were initially drawn to stop Navarro's vehicle due to a missing light on his license plate and other suspicious factors. After Navarro claimed to have been visiting family in California, discrepancies in his travel timeline led officers to quickly become suspicious of potential criminal involvement, as obtained by KSL.
With the assistance of K9 Grizz, a narcotics detection dog, officers confirmed the presence of illegal drugs in Navarro's car. The police department's press release, as reported by ABC4, stated that the impact of the narcotics, "if distributed in individual dosage units, could affect up to 459,407 individuals." The West Central Narcotics Strike Force, which includes K9 Grizz and detectives from several area police departments, was involved in the successful operation.