Colorado man sentenced for trafficking 60,000 fentanyl pills

In September 2022, a Colorado man named Garcia-Loya was pulled over by deputies from the Weld County Sheriff's Office on Highway 85 in Gilcrest. During the traffic stop, a K9 unit detected narcotics in his vehicle, leading to the discovery of approximately 4,000 M-30 pills suspected to contain fentanyl and over five pounds of methamphetamine. Following this, authorities conducted a search of his residence in Henderson, where they uncovered an additional 60,000 fentanyl pills and 26 pounds of meth. The total estimated street value of the seized drugs was around $330,000, marking it as the largest seizure of counterfeit blue M-30 fentanyl pills in Weld County at that time. In August, Garcia-Loya was convicted on multiple drug-related charges, including possession with intent to manufacture or distribute controlled substances. He was subsequently sentenced to 64 years in prison. The case highlights the ongoing issues of drug trafficking and the dangers posed by fentanyl in communities, with officials expressing concern over the potential devastation had the drugs reached the streets.