Edit Transcript

Language

Format

Source

Auto-generated

Yes

Confidence

Content

You've got a full house in here. Hey, I'm Officer Sharon Cashman, Police Department. Hey, the reason I stopped you is you're going a little fast. Do you know what the speed limit is here? >> 75. >> Yeah, I got you going to pacing about 80, okay? >> Oh, okay. I'm sorry. >> All right. Uh, do you got your license, registration, insurance? What's this? >> That's the insurance. >> You don't even have a driver's license. You can't even be driving. >> I know. It's cuz she got tired. I didn't want to, you know? >> Do you just not have a license or is it suspended? >> It's suspended. >> You want it suspended for? >> Um >> For DUI? That's not good. You'll have a criminal record. >> I know. Yeah, she got tired. I didn't want to drive. >> All right. You come back here and let's talk to me. Try to figure out what we can do for you. Why did you pull over on the left side of the road? >> I know she told me, but it's cuz I thought when you're on the highway you're supposed to pull to the left. I've never been pulled over on the highway, so I wasn't sure. But she told me right after I did it. I was like, "Oh my god, I like I messed up." >> I'm going to talk to you over here on the left side of my vehicle just because I don't want to be that close. That's good right here. You can sit right here in front of my car, okay? Thanks. Where are you guys coming from now? >> We're visiting my family. >> Oh, yeah, your family? >> And her um my friend's daughter, her dad is in Mexico, so she went to take him to go see him. He got deported like a I think like a few weeks ago. He's my cousin. >> Oh, he's your cousin? When did you guys get down there? >> Uh, Saturday. >> Saturday? How long did you guys stay down there for? >> Two days. >> Two days. Who's all in the car now? >> Me, my friend, her daughter, and her niece. >> None of your kids? >> No. >> So she got tired and that's why you're driving? >> I started driving. >> What's the name of uh said it's her husband or boyfriend? What's his Where are you heading now? >> Back home to my son. >> Nothing illegal in the car? >> No. >> I ask everybody. So your license is suspended for DUI. You said nothing illegal in the car? >> No. >> Uh methamphetamine? >> No, nothing. We have kids in here. >> Cocaine, marijuana, fentanyl pills, nothing like that. Okay. I'm going to cite you for the criminal citation, okay? And you'll get a court date and a time to appear, okay, on that thing. Um this area is a high drug trafficking area. I'm sure there's nothing in here. Um is it okay if I search the car? >> Um it's her vehicle. I I don't mind, but you just want to ask her if >> Okay. Okay, since you since you gave me permission, I'm going to go talk to her real quick. Hey, can you come out here and talk to me real quick? >> Hey, hold on. Let me get I want to make sure you don't get run over. >> Hey, uh I talked to her a little bit about anything illegal in the car. She said there's nothing in the car. She gave me permission to search it. Now, you're the owner of the car? >> Yes. >> So, I'm just asking you for permission to search it. Is that okay? >> Yes. >> Okay. Uh I'm going to have you come back over here. We'll get everybody out. And like I said, I'm just going to cite you for the uh driving on a suspended license cuz you can't be driving like that. You know that. With your permission to search, we'll search it when I'm done doing that. I don't expect to find anything because you guys have been pretty honest with me, but uh then we'll get you guys out of here, okay? And then I'll have you drive if your license is good, okay? >> Yeah, can I get my wallet? >> What's that? >> My license. >> Yeah. Why you know she doesn't have a good driver's license? Why you letting her drive? >> I got tired. >> If you guys need to talk to me by any means, call over to this officer and he can talk to me, okay? >> Hey, Sheriff, there's a gun under the passenger front seat. >> Okay. 15 266 from me 10-15 10-52. We'll be right back. >> You said 15 turn out over. >> Transport. And we're going to need two units for transport. >> You guys just put your kind of butts up against my car, please. Just stand right there, okay? >> Let's put one down there and ma'am, you can come up. >> You got no weapons on you, right? No. So, these are this is your uh one of your daughters? In the event that we need to have someone come pick them up, who can come get them? >> Like out here? >> We can take them probably back to the police department. >> Yeah, I have to have a friend pick them up. >> Who's your friend? >> Hosco. >> I mean, like we want to make sure we get them to somebody who's responsible. Where's their dad? >> Uh I'm fighting custody for her. Her dad's not here, he's in Mexico. And the temporary guardian will be my mom. >> Would your mom come get them? >> She doesn't know how to drive that far. >> Hosco, you said? >> Possible. >> Hosco? >> Yeah, he's just a friend. >> And how old is he? >> 27. >> 27. All right, well I got to make sure it's okay with my supervisor that they that they go. If that's okay, then I'll work on it. >> The term M30 refers to counterfeit prescription pills that are pressed with illicit fentanyl, commonly known as blues. These pills are manufactured to perfectly mimic authentic pills and are primarily mass-produced in clandestine labs, often in Mexico. They're extremely dangerous as their manufacturing process can result in pills containing a lethal dose of just 2 mg. The suspects are now transported to Casa Grande Police Department for questioning. >> All right, so um Tanya, right? >> Tanya's my friend. >> Marta, I'm sorry. So, I'm Officer Sharon, I'm the case officer. I was the officer that stopped you today. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can will be used against you in a court of law. Do you understand these rights? >> Yes. >> Okay. Obviously, I stopped you, you were going a little fast, and even though it's 5 over, it's it's still dangerous. When I started talking to you at first, you obviously were a little hesitant to give me your license, probably because it was >> suspended. >> Suspended. And you had told me that you had a DUI. So, obviously, you know you're not supposed to be driving a vehicle, right? When I searched it, there was the first thing I saw, a pill bottle, and I opened up that pill bottle, and obviously, it wasn't what was supposed to be in there. There's There was a lot of fentanyl in the car, okay? Um the main thing that you can do right now, the best thing for you is is to be honest with me, okay? So, let's let's start kind of from the beginning, how we got to this point. It's a ton of fentanyl. It's very serious. Obviously, you know that fentanyl is dangerous, right? >> Yes. Yes. >> It's the number one threat to our country right now. People are dying every day out of it. And you're facilitating it by bringing it into this country, okay? Um Let's talk about kind of how we got to this point. >> Yeah, I mean, I don't I don't really know anything. We just went down, we're there for 2 days, and I mean, I don't I don't know where I would even begin. >> Okay, well, your luggage is in the car, right? >> Yes. >> Right, there's a two briefcases, two suitcases in the back, okay? So, you [snorts] guys went down, >> [clears throat] >> and you came back, and there's property in the car that wasn't there when you guys came down, right? Okay. So, obviously, you'd have some questions, why is there a bunch of property in the car, right? Okay, so, what did you Where did that come from? >> I don't know. >> You have no clue where that came from. Okay. So, what did you think it was? >> Well, I thought it was collagen pills. I I mean, I don't know. I didn't know that there was anything else in there. >> Who picked up the collagen pills? Why did did you have them in the car? >> Um I don't even know how they got there. >> Okay, so you obviously knew they were in there cuz you said you thought they were collagen pills, right? >> Yeah, but I don't I don't even know when they got there or anything. I have >> You don't know when they got there. And that doesn't concern And that didn't concern you. >> I mean I mean honestly I didn't ask any questions. I know it sounds dumb, but I I don't know. >> But it didn't concern you that you went down to Mexico for a couple days and then you came back and you have a ton of property in the car that you don't know how it got there, who it belongs to. >> Honestly I saw like two bags and that was it. I didn't I don't know what else is in there. I have no idea. >> Okay. Well, uh you're facing some serious felonies tonight. Possession of a narcotic drug for sale, transportation of narcotic drug for sale, endangerment. You put two kids in danger. You would agree, right? >> Yeah, I mean they're minors. They're kids, yeah. >> Knowing now that there was close to 500,000 fentanyl pills in that car, you would understand how that would be dangerous towards those kids, right? >> Yes, of course, yeah. >> Okay. What do you think should happen to someone like you that comes across and brings this amount of fentanyl pills into the the country? >> someone that's bringing that amount I mean I don't I don't don't know what would happen, you know? I don't have I don't know. I don't know what to even say, honestly. >> Okay. So you went down to Mexico with your friend, right? How do you guys know each other? >> Um we've been friends for over 15 years. >> Uh did you guys ever have a discussion about the the collagen pills that were in the car? >> Mhm. >> No? You just saw all the property in the car, but you just never wanted to have a discussion about it. >> honestly didn't I didn't ask any questions. I just At one point when we're just coming back she was just tired, asked me if I could drive and I drove and that's it. >> And I'm sure that you guys co-conspired to go down there and pick them up. I don't believe you're being honest or truthful with me. And here's the deal. We have your phone, okay? >> Okay. >> Your phone's going to give us all the information that we need. They can do a digital download of through your carrier. It'll It'll give us GPS locations. It'll give us text messages. It'll give us everything that's happened. >> Okay. >> So, right now I'm giving you a chance to be honest with me and tell me the truth about what you know. >> Yeah, no, I mean I don't I don't know anything. >> Okay, so your phone's not going to have any information about you driving down to Mexico to pick up fentanyl pills and you're coming back. Okay. All right. Can you sign okay? >> The officer now questions the friend separately to see if she gives any more or different details. >> When did you guys first notice that those were in the vehicle? >> We were asked like if we could bring them, but I did not know what was in there. >> Okay, so someone asked you to bring them. And then who asked you to bring them? >> A family member of mine but fentanyl pills. >> A family member of yours? >> No, no, of hers. >> Of hers. >> Yeah. >> Okay. You have no clue what family member. Okay, boy, girl? >> No. We were just chilling at the house and >> All right, let me start over a little bit. I know that you guys didn't go down on Sunday, okay? Because there's what we have called LPR readers, right? At the border, I just looked at it and you guys came down yesterday, okay? So, don't start the conversation off lying to me because once you lie, it tells me that you know more than something obviously. Like, how can I trust you for the rest of this conversation if you're not going to be honest with me, right? So, please, please, please be honest with me. I'll ask you again, so you went down yesterday. Where did you guys go once you crossed the border? >> We went to a hotel. >> Okay, what hotel? >> Um >> You guys knew you were there to pick something up, right? >> Yeah. >> Okay. So, what was the understanding when you got there? Like, take me through it. What what happened when you got there? >> They sent her an address to pick up um something, and that's why we headed over there. >> Was that today? >> Yeah. >> Okay. So, they sent you they sent her an address on her phone. >> Yeah. >> That's where you guys went to go pick up pick it up. >> Yeah. >> What time did you guys pick up those items? >> 1:00 p.m. >> After picking them up, where did you guys go from there? >> Straight here. >> Straight here. Okay. So, you had to have had pretty good knowledge that what you guys were taking back wasn't collagen pills, right? >> They just said it was like a big amount of like medication and that we couldn't like report like, you know, report it online cuz we were going to get like taxed. >> So, >> my understanding was. >> So, it's her connect basically that says, "Hey, come to this address." Did you drive there or did she drive you to the house? >> She did. >> And then, how does the product get into your vehicle? >> They started loading it. I was just in the living room. >> So, you were in the living room of the residence, and then they went outside and started loading the car. When you say they, how many people? >> Just two. >> You had to have had some concern, right? Cuz that's not [clears throat] a that's not a normal right or something someone normally do, right? Were you concerned that it was something illegal? >> Yes and no at the same time. >> You have close to 500,000 fentanyl pills in your car like in your car. Okay. Well, I'm telling you that's what it is right now. Um so, pretty serious charges. Obviously, you guys co-conspired to go down there to pick it up. The severity of the crime is pretty bad. Fentanyl is killing a ton of people, and you guys are introducing it into this country. >> Mhm. >> Is there any part of you that feels bad that >> Well, knowing what it is, yes, cuz right now we're going through a case with my own sister. I don't know what type of drugs she's doing, and that's why we're keeping her case. >> Well, you guys didn't go down to visit family, obviously. That was a lie, right? Be honest. It was a lie, right? >> Yeah. I did not know what it was. >> But, you knew you were picking something up, right? So, your friend, what was the conversation like? What she say? What made you guys come down here? Cuz we know it wasn't to visit family, so what did she tell you? >> That um if I was like going to pick up drugs to pick up something, and I was like, "What kind of things?" And she's like, "Oh, it's medication." >> And then you said, "Yes." >> Yeah. >> And then when you saw all these things being loaded in your vehicle, you had some current concerns. You told me that it may be something illegal or may not be something illegal. >> Yeah. >> Don't you think that would have been a good time to pull out of it? To say no? >> I wasn't sure like what to do. >> Here's the deal. I've been doing this a long time. They may have said, "Hey, just tell if you get caught, tell them this is the story that with taxes, whatever." You knew what you were doing. You knew what you were doing. >> to be honest. I did not know. >> Okay. I'm going to go talk to her for a minute. I'm going to leave you in here with uh Officer Wilson. You got the gist of everything that happened? >> Yeah. >> I'll be right back. All right. So, this is looking worse and worse for you, okay? Because I talked to her, and she told me a completely different side of the story, okay? I'm going to tell you >> [clears throat] >> exactly what's going on, and I'm going to give you a chance to be a little more honest with me, okay? >> Okay. >> Do you want to tell me anything different before we have this conversation? No? No? Okay. So, uh her story is completely different than yours. Um her story is that it's your connect down there. You guys went down there. You stayed one night at a hotel. Today, you received an address. You went to the house. You received the address of where to go, okay? You guys went to the house where the vehicle was loaded, and you asked for the ride to come down to Mexico to pick up product, okay? I'm going to give you a little opportunity to be a little more honest with me. Tell me the truth on what happened. >> No, I I don't know. I don't >> So, she's lying to me. >> I I don't want to call her a liar, but I don't >> Well, you are because she she told me a completely different side of the story than yours. >> I don't know. >> Today, did you get a message on your phone on where to go to pick up those those bottles? >> No. >> No, that never happened. >> No. >> Okay, so you never went to a address where the vehicle was loaded. >> No. >> You never asked her for to take you down to Mexico to pick up the items. >> No. >> Okay. All right, well, if you're going to sit here and lie to me, then I have no more reason to talk to you tonight, okay? Do you want to tell me anything different? Okay. Hey, um so, what what do you guys What do you guys get paid to do this? Like for this load that you guys brought, what what did you guys get paid or what are you guys supposed to be paid for? >> How much are we supposed to I'm not sure. This is a new person that we were going to work with, so I don't know how much she was paid. >> In the past, how much have you guys been paid? >> Okay. >> Per what you taking each trip? >> Yeah. >> Okay. And how many pills did you guys move that time? >> It was half of what we brought today. We don't know how many we brought, just the containers. I want to say 80. >> 80 containers. So, it's likely that you would have got paid 20,000 for this if it was a double. >> Um yeah, more than likely. >> Okay. All right, anytime. Okay, you got any questions for me right now? >> Do you know if my daughter has been picked up yet? >> She hasn't yet, but I'll let you know. >> The two suspects were identified as 30-year-old Martha Lopez and 31-year-old Tanya Solis. Over half a million fentanyl pills were found in the collagen supplement containers with an estimated street value of up to 2.5 million dollars to 3 million dollars. While the legal proceedings are still in progress as of the time of publication, so far Martha has been charged with transportation of narcotic drugs and child endangerment. While she is innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law, Tanya has been charged with two counts of transportation of narcotic drugs and possession of a weapon during a drug offense. She has taken a plea [music] deal pleading guilty to one count of transportation of narcotic drugs in exchange for the other two charges [music] to be dismissed. She has yet to be sentenced. However, first-time offenses for this much controlled substance can result in up to 15 years in prison. >> It's the deadliest illegal drug in US history [music] by far. Between 2013 and 2023, it killed about 400,000 Americans. >> Now, what I stay with me from that fentanyl segment is that this stuff is about 50 times stronger than heroin. Think about that for a second. And the proof is in the numbers. While overdoses are down slightly in recent years, they still kill approximately 70,000 Americans a year and are the number one cause of accidental death in the United States. To put it in perspective, for every one person killed by lightning, 7,400 people are killed by fentanyl. Every one of those pills was headed toward somebody's son, daughter, friend, or neighbor. And that's what makes half a million pills so disturbing because every one of them is another chance for a family to get a phone call they never saw coming.

Cancel