Two women indicted in Arizona for possession of over 850,000 fentanyl pills

Two young women caught carrying hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills in Arizona are facing felony charges.

Kimberli Guadalupe Torres-Marin, 26, and 19-year-old Alexa Torres-Martin were caught trafficking large amounts of fentanyl on Aug. 24, and are in the custody of Maricopa County Sheriff's Deputies. They were traveling with more than 850,000 counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl in duffle bags. They were in a vehicle traveling towards Phoenix.

A Maricopa County Grand Jury indicted both women on one count of sale or transportation of narcotic drugs, a class two felony in Arizona. They were issued indictments on Sept. 2. According to state law, the two could end up in prison for up to 12.5 years each, with time added depending on criminal history.

"Two out of five counterfeit pills that come across our border are laced with lethal doses of fentanyl. These drugs are being marketed to our youth in the most proliferous ways and are being produced in candy-like colors. We must hold those who bring these lethal pills into our community accountable," County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a press release from the County Attorney's office.

Both women are being held on $500,000 bail, according to court documents.

When announcing the news, the Maricopa County Attorney's office also noted that it is leading a community forum with fentanyl experts on Sept. 27 in hopes of educating parents and teens about the dangers of fentanyl. It is being held at Independence High School in Glendale, Arizona, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. local time.