Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Deputy Makes Major Fentanyl Seizure During Thanksgiving Traffic Stop

A routine traffic stop on Thanksgiving Day led to one of the largest fentanyl seizures of the year in Siskiyou County, as law enforcement intercepted more than seven pounds of the deadly synthetic opioid being transported along Interstate 5.

According to the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy pulled over a vehicle for code violations while it was traveling northbound on Interstate 5. The driver was identified as Ivan Chavez, 23, who was reportedly traveling from Los Angeles, California, to Washington state.

During the stop, law enforcement discovered approximately 3,183.4 grams (just over seven pounds) of fentanyl along with 2.9 grams of methamphetamine. The Sheriff’s Office estimates that this quantity of fentanyl contains enough lethal doses to potentially kill over 1.5 million people.

The seizure represents a significant victory for the Highway Drug Interdiction team in their ongoing efforts to combat the fentanyl crisis. The synthetic opioid has become increasingly prevalent across the United States, with law enforcement agencies nationwide reporting record seizures in recent years.

The case remains under investigation by the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office.