Nevada Traffic Stop Yields 30 Pounds of Fentanyl, 677 Pounds of Meth; Driver Charged A Lincoln County deputy's traffic stop on U.S. Highway 93 near Ash Springs, Nevada, led to the seizure of approximately 30 pounds of suspected fentanyl and 677 pounds of suspected methamphetamine. Francisco Joel Garcia Farias faces federal trafficking charges carrying a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison. A traffic stop on a rural Nevada highway led to the seizure of approximately 30 pounds of suspected fentanyl and 677 pounds of suspected methamphetamine, federal prosecutors announced. Francisco Joel Garcia Farias now faces federal fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking charges following the Oct. 13 stop on U.S. Highway 93 near Ash Springs, Nevada. The bust began when a Lincoln County sheriff's deputy observed a pickup traveling above the posted speed limit, according to prosecutors' account of the criminal complaint. A narcotics detection dog alerted to the vehicle, prompting deputies to search the truck. Inside, authorities say they found 13 large storage totes packed with numerous vacuum-sealed packages.Massive Fentanyl Seizure DetailsThe totes contained roughly 30 pounds of suspected fentanyl and 677 pounds of suspected methamphetamine, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Nevada. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah described the scale of the seizure in stark terms. Fourteen kilograms of fentanyl alone, she said, represents approximately seven million potentially lethal two-milligram doses. That quantity, Chattah noted, is enough to kill more than twice the population of Nevada.Combined with over 650 pounds of methamphetamine, the drugs carry an estimated street value of approximately $2 million. Based on that lethal-dose estimate, the fentanyl could potentially kill nearly twice the population of Los Angeles, everyone in Indiana, or roughly the entire population of Paraguay. Chattah said the massive scale of the seizure underscores the staggering volume of illicit narcotics flowing into communities from transnational criminal organizations.Garcia Farias is charged with possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture containing fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life on each count, followed by five years of supervised release, according to prosecutors. Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada Blanche addressed the case directly.Prosecutors Vow To Target Drug TraffickersAnyone who plans to release a deadly drug like fentanyl onto American streets will be prosecuted, Blanche said. Blanche credited the diligent work of federal and local law enforcement, saying the lethal drugs allegedly possessed by this illegal alien are no longer endangering the lives of countless Americans. John A. Condon, executive associate director of Homeland Security Investigations, called the seized fentanyl and methamphetamine an extraordinary threat to public safety.Condon said HSI will continue to identify, investigate and hold accountable those who profit from poisoning Americans and endangering communities, citing close coordination with the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, the U.S. Attorney's Office and Homeland Security Task Force partners. Lincoln County Sheriff Foremaster said the allegations underscore the serious threat illicit narcotics pose to rural communities and the traveling public.Law Enforcement Coordination And Community SafetyForemaster expressed pride in the vigilance and professionalism of his deputies, whose proactive traffic enforcement and trained K-9 deployment led to the identification of suspected narcotics and a coordinated response with Homeland Security Investigations. A Homeland Security Investigations file photo showed a display of packaged drugs. The image accompanied the announcement of the Nevada bust and is not identified as evidence from the traffic stop.Images released by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Nevada showed packages of suspected narcotics filling a storage tote recovered during the investigation. The case remains under federal prosecution in the District of Nevada.