MIDVALE: Police have arrested a man who they say is responsible for smuggling methamphetamine and heroin into the Salt Lake area.
Anthony Richard Aguilera, suspected in connection with a drug trafficking and smuggling operation, was arrested Friday with nearly 30 pounds of narcotics and weapons, as well as two live grenades, according to Unified police.
A fake ID found during a $1 million drug bust in West Valley City helped investigators learn Friday that Aguilera, 38, had booked a room at the Staybridge Suites in Midvale, 747 W. Blue Vista Lane. Aguilera was wanted on several outstanding warrants and was believed to have a large amount of narcotics, according to Unified police.
Detectives from Unified’s Taylorsville Precinct Street Crimes Unit, and members of the Utah County Major Crimes Taskforce “lured Aguilera down to the front desk and arrested him without incident” about 9:45 p.m.
Serving a search warrant in Aguilera’s hotel room, police said they found a suitcase under the bed with nearly 24 pounds of methamphetamine and almost 6 pounds of heroin inside. The street value of the seizure is about $800,000.
“Couple that with the little over $1 million that we had a few days prior to this, both from the same organization, and that’s an almost $2 million hit that they’ve taken in the last week just here in Salt Lake City,” Unified Police Lt. Lex Bell said Tuesday.
The drugs have been traced back to Stockton, California, Bell said.
Also in the suitcase were a handgun — believed to be stolen from Spokane, Washington — and two grenades that Unified Fire Authority explosive experts determined were live and operational.
“There’s no question, no civilian on earth, at least in the United States, can possess a live grenade,” Bell said. “It’s absolutely illegal to have that.”
A search of court records indicates Aguilera was convicted in 2012 of unlawful possession of a financial card and failure to stop at a police officer’s command. He was charged earlier this year in two separate cases, including two counts of possession of a controlled substance and two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia.
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