Law enforcement officials display a trash bag filled with smaller bags of fentanyl pills. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, synthetic opioids (such as fentanyl) are currently the main cause of overdose deaths in the United States.

 Photo Courtesy Arizona Department of Public Safety

A Rio Rico has been arrested after authorities say more than 36 pounds of fentanyl was found in the car he was driving.

A state Trooper and a U.S. Border Patrol agent pulled over a Volkswagen Jetta on westbound Interstate 10 near Marana on Thursday. The fentanyl was found inside a trash bag during a search of the car, the Arizona Department of Public Safety said in a news release Tuesday.

The driver, Erick A. Jimenez, 26, was booked into the Pima County jail on suspicion of possession and transportation of a dangerous drug for sale, the release said.

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Edward Celaya is a breaking news and marijuana reporter. He has been on both beats since May 2021.

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