MCSO: 8,000 fentanyl pills seized in drug investigation

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - Officials with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office say they have seized 8,000 fentanyl pills in a drug investigation.

Officials say the pills were seized at the end of a five-month investigation by detectives with the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) and the Maricopa County Drug Suppression Task Force (MCDST), who identified a group selling large amounts of narcotic drugs on Valley streets. The investigation began in early 2018 in cooperation with Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Phoenix Police.

The pills, officials say, were seized from various locations, including a storage unit in the Maryvale area. In addition, authorities also seized a 9mm handgun, and $10,000 in cash. Two people, identified as 23-year-old Jorge Bazan and 33-year-old Octavio Gutierrez-Hernandez, have been arrested and booked into jail for possession of narcotic drugs for sale, and conspiracy.