California deputies seize $750K worth of fentanyl, arrest 2
Officials say 150,000 fentanyl tablets worth $750,000 were seized in a vehicle during a traffic stop in California on Friday.
According to the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, detectives from the Tulare County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Unit were dispatched to the vicinity of Highway 99 and Tulare Avenue in Tulare around 7:30 p.m. to support California Highway Patrol officers with the stop.
Authorities discovered 150 packets containing 1,000 fentanyl tablets each stashed in the car, according to the sheriff’s office.
- 2 Women Arrested After Authorities Locate 500,000 Fentanyl Pills in Vehicle
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Jose Zendejas, 25, and Benito Madrigal, 19, both of Washington, were detained, according to the sheriff’s office. They are accused of unlawful drug possession, transportation, and sale.
Plot twist: The two inmates were released mere days later, in an unexpected turn of events.
“The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office obtained a court order releasing both defendants on their own recognizance,” officials stated.
“All inmates booked into Tulare County jails are sent through what is known as the Risk Assessment Process through the Tulare County Probation Department. That ‘Risk Assessment’ is then sent to a judge with the court, who, then, determines whether or not the individual arrested is held on bail or if they are to be released,” The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office added.
