On the morning of Wednesday, January 18, 2023, an Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) trooper initiated a traffic stop on the driver of a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck for moving violations on westbound Interstate 10 at milepost 239, near Marana.

During the traffic stop, the trooper observed numerous indicators of criminal activity. During a search of the vehicle, troopers discovered approximately 51.95 pounds of methamphetamine, 28.10 pounds of fentanyl pills, and 2.45 pounds of fentanyl powder.

The suspect driver, 27-year-old Carlos Calixtro-Varela, and passenger, 30-year-old Francisco Calixtro-Varela, both residents of Tucson, were arrested and booked into the Pima County Jail on charges including possession, transportation, and sale of narcotic drugs and dangerous drugs.

Investigators determined the drugs were being smuggled from Tucson to Marana.

Later the same day, another trooper stopped the driver of a Jeep SUV on northbound Interstate 17 at milepost 263, near Cordes Junction. Indicators of criminal activity were observed during the stop, and a drug detection canine alerted to the vehicle. During a subsequent vehicle search, troopers located approximately 36 pounds of fentanyl pills and 21.5 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in the vehicle.

The suspect driver, 32-year-old Jose Espinoza-Gil, and passenger, 42-year-old Luciano Zamudio, both from Phoenix, were arrested and booked into the Yavapai County Jail on charges including possession, transportation, and sale of narcotic drugs and dangerous drugs.

The fentanyl and methamphetamine in this incident were being smuggled from the Phoenix area to Denver, Colorado.

On the evening of Saturday, January 21, 2023, an Arizona State Trooper initiated a traffic stop on the driver of a Mazda SUV on Interstate 40 at milepost 285, in Holbrook. During the traffic stop, the trooper observed several indicators of criminal activity. A subsequent vehicle search revealed approximately 25.8 pounds of suspected fentanyl pills - including multicolored pills - concealed in spare tires inside the vehicle.

The driver, 28-year-old Jesus Hernandez-Hernandez, of Manson, WA, was booked into the Navajo County Jail on charges including possession and transportation of a narcotic drug for sale.

Troopers determined the suspected drugs were being smuggled from California to Oklahoma.

Our air rescue crews are hard at work in this heatwave! On the afternoon of Sunday, July 23, 2023, the Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) Ranger 1 air rescue crew assisted with back-to-back heat-related rescues more than 100 miles apart.

At about 1:21 p.m., the Ranger 1 crew was requested to assist the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) with the rescue of two hikers suffering from heat-related illness on Siphon Draw Trail in Apache Junction. Ranger 1 responded to the area and inserted a rescue technician to assist the PCSO deputy already on scene with the hikers. Both patients were hoisted off the trail and turned over to Superstition Fire and Medical for heat exhaustion.

Shortly after completing that mission, at approximately 4:15 p.m., Ranger 1 responded to assist the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office with the rescue of three dirt bikers who broke down and were suffering from heat exhaustion on a trail north of Crown King. A rescue technician was inserted and helped get one biker onto the helicopter, then hiked down the trail to prepare the other two patients for a hoist rescue. All three subjects were safely rescued and turned over to Mayer Fire Department for medical assistance.

Rescue crews are prepared to help, but try not to put yourself - and first responders - in a dangerous situation. Avoid strenuous activities (hiking, cycling, etc.) in the middle of the day during extreme heat, bring a cell phone and more water than you think you need, and always share your plans with someone else.

On Thursday, February 2, 2023, detectives with the Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) served a search warrant in the area of South 6th Avenue and East Ajo Way in Tucson. The search warrant followed a months-long investigation into drug trafficking.

While serving the search warrant, detectives seized the following items:

• 93.9 pounds of fentanyl pills
• 2.9 pounds of methamphetamine
• 0.56 pounds of heroin
• Two vehicles
• $6,593 in cash
• Two rifles
• One stolen handgun
• 152 rounds of ammunition

Daniel Chavez Chan, 40, of Eloy, and Victor Bracamonte Miranda, 41, of Tucson, were booked into the Pima County Jail on charges including possession of dangerous drugs for sale, possession of narcotic drugs for sale and weapons misconduct.

The estimated street value of the fentanyl seized is approximately $2 million.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) will host a media availability regarding the fatal collision and hazardous materials spill that occurred at approximately 2:43 p.m. on Tuesday, February 14, 2023, on eastbound Interstate 10 at milepost 272, in Tucson.

• When: Thursday, February 16, 2023, at 1:30 p.m.
• Where: Arizona Department of Public Safety - Tucson office, 6401 S Tucson Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85706
• Participants: Representatives from AZDPS, as well as state and local partners
• RSVP: Email [email protected]

This event will also be livestreamed at www.azdps.gov/live.

To view our incident management log for this incident, please visit www.azdps.gov/news/ims/92.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Task Force (CVETF) will conduct Operation Southern Shield 2023 from Monday, February 20, 2023, through Friday, February 24, 2023, on Interstate 10 from Phoenix to the New Mexico state line, and on Interstate 19 from Tucson to the international border.

The CVETF is comprised of AZDPS Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Bureau troopers and Arizona Department of Transportation Enforcement and Compliance Division officers.

The focus of this operation is to target hazardous driving violations, conduct commercial motor vehicle (CMV) inspections, and educate drivers on safe and compliant operation in an effort to reduce crashes involving commercial motor vehicles. Non-commercial vehicles that operate unsafely around CMVs will also be stopped.

During this operation, CVETF troopers and officers will work with inspectors, deputies and officers from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, the Marana Police Department, Oro Valley Police Department, and the Tucson Police Department.

Update: Wednesday, March 1, 2023 - Results of Operation Southern Shield

During the five-day special enforcement detail “Operation Southern Shield”, the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Task Force (CVETF) and partners completed 693 commercial vehicle inspections and recorded 2,238 driver-vehicle examination report violations.

Throughout the operation, 106 vehicles and 135 drivers were placed out of service. CVETF personnel placed special emphasis on violations involving reckless driving, failure to use a turn signal or improper signaling, failure to yield right of way, and improper lane changes. These are all among the American Transportation Research Institute’s top five driving behaviors that are consistent indicators of future crash involvement.

Additional importance was placed on restraint usage and cell phone distractions, with 69 restraint violations and 15 cell phone use violations reported.

During this operation, CVETF personnel worked with inspectors, deputies and officers from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, Marana Police Department, Oro Valley Police Department, and the Tucson Police Department.

The CVETF Division comprises sworn uniformed personnel and professional staff from the Arizona Department of Transportation's Enforcement Services Bureau and the AZDPS Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Bureau. The mission of the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Task Force is to ensure safe, secure, and efficient commercial transport across Arizona.

On Thursday, February 16, 2023, at approximately 7:26 p.m., Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) troopers responded to reports of a single-vehicle collision on Interstate 10 eastbound at Casa Blanca Road (milepost 175) in Sacaton.  
 
Upon arrival, troopers determined the driver of a 1989 Ford pickup truck was traveling eastbound on Interstate 10 when he lost control of the vehicle. The pickup truck rolled over, ejecting the driver. The driver was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. 

During the subsequent collision investigation and vehicle inventory, troopers discovered numerous packages of pills concealed throughout the truck. In total, troopers seized approximately 286 pounds of suspected fentanyl pills - or approximately 1,297,000 pills - from the vehicle.  

The estimated street value of the fentanyl seized is approximately $5.1 million. 

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, four out of every ten pills laced with fentanyl contain at least 2 milligrams of the synthetic opioid, a potentially lethal dose. Based on those figures, there was enough fentanyl in this seizure to potentially kill more than half a million people.

In an unrelated incident on the same day, AZDPS troopers administered Narcan to a woman suspected of overdosing on fentanyl following a traffic stop on U.S. Route 93 in Congress. Congress Fire Department responded to the scene and helped administer a second dose of Narcan. The woman was transported by the fire department and airlifted to a hospital.

Unfortunately, incidents like this are an all-too-common occurrence for law enforcement agencies in Arizona and across the country. AZDPS troopers will continue working hard every day to combat the illegal smuggling and distribution of drugs such as fentanyl, undoubtedly saving many lives in the process.

On the morning of Monday, February 20, 2023, an Arizona State Trooper initiated a traffic stop on the driver of a commercial motor vehicle on Mariposa Road east of Interstate 19 in Nogales, Arizona.

During the commercial vehicle inspection, the trooper observed several indicators of criminal activity. A subsequent search of the commercial vehicle led to the discovery of the following concealed within the semi-trailer:

• Approximately 1,035 pounds of suspected methamphetamine
• Approximately 173 pounds of suspected fentanyl pills (about 784,000 pills)
• Approximately 21.75 pounds of suspected cocaine

The driver, a 38-year-old male from Nogales, Sonora, was booked into the Santa Cruz County Detention Center on charges including possession and transportation of a narcotic drug for sale and possession and transportation of a dangerous drug for sale.

The street value of the methamphetamine seized is estimated at just over $1 million, while the estimated value for the fentanyl seized is approximately $3.1 million. The estimated street value of the cocaine is approximately $197,000.

This marked the second major drug seizure by Arizona State Troopers in a four-day period.

On Thursday, February 16, 2023, troopers seized 286 pounds of suspected fentanyl pills – about 1,297,000 pills – following a one-vehicle crash on Interstate 10 in Sacaton. The driver of the vehicle involved was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. The estimated street value of the fentanyl seized in that incident was approximately $5.1 million.

In total, troopers have stopped the flow of more than an estimated two million fentanyl pills into Arizona communities within the past week.

On Monday, February 27, 2023, at approximately 3:22 p.m., Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) Trooper Berry was driving southbound on State Route 101 near Talking Stick Way when he witnessed a Ford pickup truck sideswipe several vehicles before stopping beside the highway.

As Trooper Berry pulled over and approached the pickup, he realized the lone male driver was experiencing a medical emergency. Trooper Berry was unable to open the locked driver’s side door, and the pickup truck suddenly began to accelerate down a dirt embankment away from the highway. He jumped back in his patrol vehicle and followed as the pickup crossed both lanes of traffic on 93rd Street, drove through a parking lot, then headed towards a baseball field at Salt River Fields.

Recognizing the imminent danger to the driver and anyone nearby, Trooper Berry quickly deployed his Grappler Police Bumper, successfully securing one of the truck’s rear tires and bringing it to a safe stop in front of the baseball field.

Trooper Berry helped get the driver safely out of the vehicle and provided basic first aid until medical personnel arrived and transported him to a hospital.

We’re proud of Trooper Berry’s quick thinking and sound use of tactics, which brought a potentially deadly situation to the safest possible resolution.