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Arizona residents found with 40K fentanyl pills in Utah face charges

Derick Fox

FILE - A bag of evidence containing the synthetic opioid fentanyl disguised as Oxycodone is shown during a Fresno County Sheriff's Office press conference in 2020. California Republicans have been attacking Democrats over their alleged inaction on fentanyl policy. (Craig Kohlruss/Fresno Bee/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Two Arizona residents who were arrested in late October after they were allegedly found in possession of 40,000 fentanyl pills in a Salt Lake City hotel are now facing federal charges.

Dominic Jared Arias Aceves, 22, and Cristo Alexander Urias Salazar, 32, were originally arrested on Monday, Oct. 21, in a drug bust conducted by the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force.


The drug bust comes as the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force began investigating an unnamed drug trafficking organization that is allegedly distributing large quantities of narcotics throughout Utah.

According to court documents, the two Arizona residents were using the hotel room as a stash location for thousands of fentanyl pills, among other narcotics. Detectives say they seized 3,952 grams of fentanyl, 3.19 grams of methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia.

Aceves and Salazar were federally charged with possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute. An initial appearance for both suspects has been scheduled for Friday, Nov. 8.