Colorado jury convicts man for possession of 60,000+ fentanyl pills, 30+ pounds meth

A Weld County jury has convicted a Colorado man for possession of more than 60,000 fentanyl pills and more than 30 pounds of meth. Jorge Garcia-Loya was convicted on several charges, including two counts of possession with intent to manufacture or distribute a controlled substance – fentanyl, two counts of possession with intent to manufacture or distribute a controlled substance, and one count of speeding.

According to the Weld County District Attorney's Office, it all began when deputies with the Weld County Sheriff's Office pulled over Garcia-Loya, 36, on Highway 85 in Gilcrest on Sept. 13, 2022. During the stop, a K9 unit detected the scent of narcotics in the trunk. A search of the vehicle revealed about 4,000 M-30 pills, suspected to contain fentanyl, along with more than five pounds of methamphetamine. 

During a search of Garcia-Loya's residence in Henderson later that same day, authorities discovered an additional 26 pounds of methamphetamine and 60,000 fentanyl pills. In total, the estimated street value of the drugs at the time was $330,000. It was also the largest seizure of counterfeit blue M-30 fentanyl pills in Weld County at the time. 

Investigators said the drug trafficking operation had ties to Mexico and "was believed to have transported large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl into New Mexico, before the final destination of Greeley."

Sentencing for Garcia-Loya is scheduled for Sept. 27. He could get up to 128 years behind bars.