DHE traffic stop near Yreka leads to seizure of staggering 85 pounds of fentanyl pills – Georgia pair arrested

YREKA, Calif. — Authorities yesterday announced that a traffic stop north of Yreka led to the discovery and seizure of a staggering 85 pounds of suspected fentanyl pills along with $14,000 cash Thursday afternoon, May 5.

The bust, which occurred along Interstate 5, was just the most recent of numerous significant drug seizures made by the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s recently formed Domestic Highway Enforcement (DHE) team, which was launched into action on February 1st of this year.

To date, the four-person DHE team, which is comprised of two Siskiyou County sheriff’s deputies and two Lake Shastina PD officers, has removed from the streets an incredible 107 pounds of fentanyl pills, seven pounds of fentanyl powder, fourteen pounds of heroin, sixteen pounds of cocaine, and twenty-two pounds of methamphetamine.

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At around 12:25 p.m., a pair of agents from the Lake Shastina Police Department who are assigned to the DHE team were conducting traffic enforcement along Interstate 5 when they spotted a white Kia sedan with Minnesota license plates, Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Whetstine has since reported.

Officials say a traffic stop conducted by the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Domestic Highway Enforcement (DHE) team led to the seizure of more than 85 pounds of suspected fentanyl pills and approximately $14,000 in cash. Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office photos

After observing multiple traffic violations, DHE agents conducted a traffic enforcement stop and made contact with the vehicle’s two occupants, including the driver, 28-year-old Bryce Erik Crawford, and passenger, 18-year-old Breanna Lanay Gary according to Whetstine, who said both are residents of Woodstock, Georgia.

During the course of the investigation, the agents “observed indicators that led them to believe that criminal activity was afoot” and conducted a probable cause search of the vehicle, Whetstine explained.

While searching the Kia’s trunk, DHE agents located a large red suitcase and upon opening the suitcase agents discovered it was filled with numerous large bags, each of which was filled with blue pills that were suspected to contain fentanyl. They also found and seized approximately $14,000 cash as a result of the stop.

Agents later determined the bags contained more than 85 pounds of the potentially lethal pills.

SEE OTHER RECENT DHE BUSTS:

Siskiyou County’s new Domestic Highway Enforcement team makes 11 lb cocaine bust on second day of operations

Siskiyou County’s new Domestic Highway Enforcement team makes second big bust – seizing 10 lbs of meth, 100’s of fentanyl pills

Tinted windows lead to discovery of more than 15 pounds of meth and heroin in Yreka – SoCal man arrested

Yreka area DHE bust hauls in nearly 25 pounds of fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin

DHE traffic stop yields 10 pounds of fentanyl pills near Weed

7 lbs of heroin seized by DHE agents on I-5 near Weed

Based on their investigation and findings, DHE agents arrested the couple, who were later booked into the Siskiyou County Jail on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance for sale and transportation of a controlled substance for sale.

Online jail records indicate both Crawford and Gary remain in custody in lieu of $1 million bail or bond.



Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 51, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and operates Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS). Both are stringer organizations, providing breaking news coverage and community interest stories for other mainstream media organizations throughout the two regions they serve.

Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.