A traffic stop in Marengo, Illinois, led to the arrest of an Arizona mother-son duo accused of attempting to smuggle a massive quantity of fentanyl pills through the Chicago area. Gloria Gastelum, 54, and German Vargas, 22, were taken into custody by McHenry County sheriff’s deputies on Thursday after a tip from an undercover detective indicated that a large shipment of illicit narcotics was expected to arrive in the area.
The McHenry County Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force had received information that a significant amount of fentanyl would be entering the area, prompting deputies to stop the pair’s rental car. A search of the vehicle allegedly uncovered 120,000 fentanyl pills disguised as oxycodone.
Gastelum and Vargas, both from Tucson, Arizona, were arrested without incident and charged with manufacturing and delivering 900 grams or more of fentanyl, as well as possession of 200 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court records, McHenry County Judge Carl Metz deemed both defendants to be flight risks due to their alleged ties to a large drug organization based in Sonora, Mexico. The judge noted that they have the means to avoid prosecution by crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.
