With 11 aggravated drug trafficking cases and counting, the Eagle County Drug Task Force has had a productive year

On October 16, members of the Gore Range Narcotic Interdiction Team conducted two separate traffic stops in Eagle County, resulting in the seizure of 145.19 pounds of suspected illegal drugs.

The two large seizures come at the end of a productive year for the multi-jurisdictional drug task force, made up of local law enforcement partners and detectives from the Eagle County Sheriff's Office and the Vail Police Department.

On Jan. 8, 24-year-old Estevan Osuna of Washington was sentenced to eight years in prison for smuggling 128 grams of cocaine and 13 pounds of fentanyl pills through Eagle County.

Since then, two more people have been convicted in GRANITE cases, while an additional 11 people accused of illegal human trafficking are currently behind bars and making their way through the court system. The 2024 cumulative totals of suspected drugs seized include an estimated 24.5 pounds of suspected fentanyl, 73 pounds of suspected cocaine, 30 pounds of suspected mixed fentanyl and cocaine, and 132.78 pounds of suspected methamphetamine.

Into the GRANITE mine

Osuna's case provides a glimpse into GRANITE's success, as investigators know what clues to look for in suspected drug smuggling operations.

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Det. Evan Jaramillo, who stopped Osuna on I-70 in Gypsum, said the following reasons led him to believe the vehicle was involved in criminal activity:

“Drove through the night from Phoenix, Arizona; The driver rolled down the window as he passed my location. The driver was locked in the 10-2 driving position; The driver and passenger were extremely nervous and shaking; smell of marijuana coming from vehicle; Short trip to pick up someone in Denver and then return to Phoenix; No rental agreement could be presented that would suggest that the property was rented to third parties; Osuna's nervousness increased during the questioning about narcotics; Osuna only answered (a question about pills) after I gave him an answer (is that a no?).”

In the case of Emely Hernandez, who was sentenced to five years probation in August after pleading guilty to possession of fentanyl, it was a standard traffic stop for swerving and following another vehicle that led to the arrest.

However, “the time it took the vehicle to stop was unusual compared to what I often experience,” Jaramillo noted in his report. “My awareness was heightened in this case. Based on my training and experience with similar situations, I came to the conclusion that something was wrong because drivers tend to stop more quickly, usually after about 20 seconds.”

Extraordinary day, extraordinary month

While all of the cases leading up to the Oct. 16 double arrest involved cocaine and fentanyl, the second arrest that day involved a large amount of methamphetamine. K-9 Zane, a 5-year-old German Shepherd who lives and works with Jaramillo, was involved in both arrests.

The first incident occurred at 8:30 a.m. at mile marker 147 near Eagle, in what the Eagle County Sheriff's Office described in a news release issued Wednesday as a “routine traffic stop around 8:30 a.m.”

The man was from Indiana and was traveling eastbound on Interstate 70.

“Suspicious activity, including the driver’s attempt to grab our deputy’s weapon, led to the deployment of K-9 Zane,” the release said.

Zane found three packages of suspected cocaine weighing just over 7 pounds, a package of suspected M30 fentanyl pills weighing just over 2.5 pounds, and a pressed brick of suspected purple fentanyl weighing nearly 3 pounds.

Later that day, a Minnesota man was stopped heading east on I-70 in Gypsum.

“Once again, criminal activity was detected, resulting in the deployment of K-9 Zane and positive alerts,” the release said. “During this search, an incredible 132.78 pounds of suspected methamphetamine and other drug paraphernalia were discovered.”

The unique combination of circumstances in the cases and the fact that they both occurred on the same day led the Sheriff's Office to offer high praise to the task force.

“Last Wednesday, October 16, 2024, was an extraordinary day for our Gore Range Narcotics Interdiction Team,” Wednesday’s press release said. “They conducted two separate traffic stops and seized a total of 145.19 pounds of illegal drugs. It’s no surprise that GRANITE recently received an award at the Eagle County Night of Excellence, and their vigilance continues.”

It was the fourth GRANITE arrest on I-70 in a month.

On September 18, the task force stopped a New Hampshire couple on I-70, and the stop resulted in the seizure of 12 pounds of suspected cocaine laced with fentanyl, described by the sheriff's office as a “significant triumph in the historic battle.” against drugs.”

On Sept. 27, a Las Vegas man was stopped on I-70 in Gypsum, where “it was determined that the vehicle had fictitious license plates and several signs of additional criminal behavior were also observed,” according to the sheriff's office. “The subsequent search revealed 10 bundles of blue pills weighing over 16 pounds. The packages tested suspected positive for fentanyl.”

Outlier case

While many of the GRANITE arrests resemble the pattern of out-of-town suspects being pulled over on I-70, a case closed this year was much different.

22-year-old Gypsum resident Kathya Saenz-Hernandez pleaded guilty in August in a GRANITE case that spanned more than 100 hours of a 2022 task force investigation and in which Hernandez was suspected of using the now-infamous Telegram app Selling drugs to minors.

The task force began its investigation after a local parent contacted a school official and said her child was “acting crazy at home and was found to be in possession of mushrooms and LSD,” according to an affidavit.

After additional local students “confirmed that they had purchased drugs from this Telegram account holder, identified as Katy or Kathy,” GRANITE officers found a source that allowed an officer to access their Telegram account, which was one of Saenz-Hernandez's 67 subscribers was on affidavit.

“Marijuana and THC products, DMT, acid and Purple Molly were for sale that day,” the affidavit states. “The channel appeared to be operational and actively posting for drug sales.”

In August, Hernandez was sentenced to 16 years probation in the case.