High country bust leads to "substantial" seizure of $300,000 worth of cocaine in Colorado

A traffic stop for a routine violation led to a "substantial" seizure of more than $300,000 worth of cocaine in Colorado's high country on July 17.

According to the Eagle County Sheriff's Office, the related traffic stop took place at about 8:00 p.m. last Wednesday on I-70 near Gypsum, which is a town located between Eagle and Glenwood Springs. Once the vehicle was pulled over on the side of the road, the driver, a 24-year-old from Chicago, was contacted by a uniformed deputy. At that point, the deputy noticed several indicators that were believed to have pointed to further criminal activity.

Law enforcement deployed a K-9 unit, which delivered a positive alert. A search of the vehicle then ensued.

A number of suspect items were found in the vehicle, according to law enforcement, including an AR-15 magazine with blank rounds, a 1911 pistol magazine, .45 caliber rounds, three cell phones, and 10 brick-shaped packages weighing more than 23 pounds. Those packages tested 'presumptive positive' for cocaine.

While local law enforcement didn't put a price on the amount of presumptive cocaine that was found, a US Customs and Border Protection release from 2023 priced cocaine found in a Texas seizure at about $13,295 per pound. In a 2022 seizure made in Arizona, the street price per pound of cocaine was estimated to be even higher – $22,658 per pound . While prices likely vary depending on purity, if the presumptive cocaine found in the recent Eagle County bust was priced at $13,295 per pound, that comes out to a bust worth $305,790. At the higher price, the value of 23 pounds is closer to $521,000.

Authorities arrested the suspect and levied multiple felony charges related to unlawful distribution of cocaine.

"This operation exemplifies the G.R.A.N.I.T.E team’s relentless vigilance and exceptional skill in combating narcotics," read a press release from the Eagle County Sheriff's Office. "Their dedication disrupts criminal networks and keeps our community safer and more secure. The Gore Range Narcotic Interdiction Team is a multi-jurisdictional drug task force composed of local law enforcement partners and detectives from the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office and the Vail Police Department."

Authorities are requesting that anyone with information about the case contact the Eagle County Sheriff's Office at 970-328-8500.

All suspects are innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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