Mexican national charged with trafficking Fentanyl

More than 100,000 pills that tested positive for Fentanyl were confiscated during a traffic stop on Tuesday. (Harrison County Sheriff’s Office)

A Mexican national is in the Harrison County jail, charged with trafficking Fentanyl.

Harrison County Sheriff Matt Haley said 33-year-old Francisco Antonio Castillo Mendoza of Sonora, Mexico on a charge of felony trafficking of a controlled substance: Fentanyl. He was taken to the Harrison County jail and held on a $100,000 bond. He also has a hold for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Haley said that on Monday about 11:25 p.m., the Sheriff’s Criminal Interdiction deputy, Sgt. Chris Sexton, conducted a traffic stop on a white Volkswagen SUV in the parking lot of the Domino’s Pizza on Highway 49 for careless driving.

As Sexton approached the vehicle, he noticed behavior that indicated the driver may have been committing a crime. Sexton called for Deputy David Oliver and his K9 Anubus, who detected the presence of controlled substances in the vehicle.

A probable cause search led to the discovery of a cardboard box in the cargo area containing several packages of suspected fake pills. The deputies and drug agents determined the packages contained in excess of 100,000 fake pills that tested positive for Fentanyl.

A check of the driver showed he was in the country illegally. Agents with U.S. Border Patrol and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration assisted with the investigation and a hold was placed on Mendoza for immigration violations.