A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City has indicted a Mexican national on drug trafficking charges following a traffic stop that resulted in the seizure of significant amounts of fentanyl and heroin. Miguel Mario Soto De Santiago, 23, of Bluffdale, Utah, stands accused of possessing the illegal substances with the intent to distribute them, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Law enforcement officials detailed that, after initiating a criminal investigation into the drug trafficking operation they believe Soto De Santiago was part of, the Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force pulled over a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee in Juab County on February 19, which was registered to the defendant. A K-9 unit at the scene, positively alerting to narcotics, in the vehicle prompted the discovery and subsequent seizure of approximately 11 pounds of fentanyl and over two pounds of heroin.
The Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force, which includes agents from the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, and the Davis Metro Narcotic Strike Force, are leading the investigation into the case. The operation is part of a broader Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces initiative aimed at dismantling high-level criminal organizations that pose a threat to national security.
Scheduled for an initial appearance on March 6, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse, Soto De Santiago faces serious charges. "Miguel Mario Soto De Santiago is charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and possession of heroin with intent to distribute," said Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti, as obtained by the U.S. Department of Justice.
