21-05-2025
K9 Dex nabs suspects accused of having 35,000 pills in Coconino County
The Brief
K9 Dex is credited with helping discover about 35,000 fentanyl pills allegedly hidden inside a car in Coconino County on May 19.
Deputies arrested driver Jose Nidome-Chavez, 30, and Carmen Ramirez-Acosta, 28, who was a passenger.
COCONINO COUNTY, Ariz. - K9 Dex helped the Coconino County Sheriff's Office catch two people accused of having seven pounds of fentanyl in northern Arizona.
What we know
On May 19 around 8 p.m., a K9 unit conducted a traffic stop on a car reportedly involved in a traffic violation on I-17 southbound near Newman Park Road in the Munds Park community.
"During the traffic stop, K9 Dex was deployed to sniff the vehicle. Dex alerted to the odor of an illegal substance. A search of the vehicle revealed approximately 7.84 lbs of suspected fentanyl (approximately 35,000 pills) with a street value of $120,000.00," the sheriff's office said in a May 20 news release.
The driver, Jose Nidome-Chavez, 30, and the passenger, Carmen Ramirez-Acosta, 28, were arrested. They were booked into jail on suspicion of transportation of narcotic drugs for sale.
The case remains under investigation.
What we don't know
The sheriff's office didn't say what traffic violation prompted deputies to pull the suspects over.
