An Arizona woman was caught on the I-70 mountain corridor with an estimated half-million suspected fentanyl pills stashed in the trunk of a Toyota Corolla.
An Eagle County sheriff’s deputy stopped the woman on May 21 for several traffic violations in western Eagle County. The deputy was with the Gore Range Narcotic Interdiction Team Task Force, known as GRANITE.
The red flags continued when the woman began acting strangely. The deputy searched the vehicle and found several furniture boxes in the trunk. Stashed inside the boxes were an estimated 111 pounds of suspected fentanyl pills.
The suspect, Mirna M. Valenzuela, 62, of Mesa, was arrested on and charged with three felony drug crimes:
- Unlawful Distribution of a Controlled Substance (Fentanyl), Class 1 felony
- Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance (Fentanyl), Class 4 felony
- Special Offender (Fentanyl), Class 1 felony
Valenzuela remains in Eagle County jail on $100,000 bond.
Authorities say “training, instincts and teamwork” turned this routine traffic stop into one of the largest interstate drug busts of the year.
“We are proud of the work our GRANITE team continues to do to protect Eagle County from the impacts of illegal narcotics,” the team says in a press release. “Through proactive enforcement, specialized training and strong investigative work, GRANITE detectives help intercept dangerous drugs before they make their way into our communities. Their commitment and vigilance play a critical role in holding offenders accountable and keeping Eagle County Safe.”
In March 2025 a Kansas City woman was arrested for smuggling PCP on I-70. She was busted when a local K9 narcotics dog sniffed out the drugs.
In February 2025 the GRANITE team caught an Aurora man with over 31 pounds of suspected cocaine stashed in his vehicle. Also inside the car were two children under the age of 6 years old.