Nearly 4 million lethal doses of fentanyl seized in Washoe County, 1 pound of meth in Douglas
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Thu, 01/25/2024 - 6:05pm
Law enforcement made four drug-related arrests in Douglas and Washoe counties recently, taking a large amount of fentanyl and methamphetamine off the streets.
In Washoe County, detectives from the Regional Narcotics Unit arrested two suspects following a months-long investigation into the sale and distribution of fentanyl in Washoe County.
On Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024, RNU detectives, with the assistance of High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force members from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office K9 team and the Nevada State Police, arrested San Francisco residents, 27-year-old Luisa-Mariela Cardona-Valle and 22-year-old Luis Fernando Chavez-Navarro, in Washoe County on multiple drug-related charges.
Cardona-Valle and Chavez-Navarro were transported to the Washoe County Detention Facility, where they are being held on two felony counts of possession of a controlled substance 200+ grams, two felony counts of trafficking a controlled substance 400+ grams, and two felony counts of intent to sell a controlled substance.
During the course of this investigation, RNU says a total of 17.03 pounds of fentanyl, 2.25 pounds of methamphetamine, and multiple firearms, including rifles and handguns, were recovered.
The amount of fentanyl seized in this case is equivalent to approximately 3.8 million lethal doses, which is approximately seven times the population of Washoe County.
The Regional Narcotics Unit is comprised of detectives from the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Reno Police Department, Sparks Police Department, Homeland Security, and the Nevada Counter Drug Task Force.
Meanwhile, on Jan. 16, just after midnight, a Douglas County Sheriff’s Office patrol deputy, along with DCSO K9 Officer Blaze, conducted a traffic stop in Stateline at Lake Tahoe. The two occupants in the vehicle, Krista Vincent-Blanchfield and Joseph Daniel Rasberry, both of Sacramento, were taken into custody after more than one pound of methamphetamine was found in their car.
Vincent-Blanchfield is in the Douglas County jail on a no-bail hold. She is charged with trafficking of methamphetamine, possession of paraphernalia, and possession of burglary tools. She also had a fugitive warrant.
Rasberry is also in the Douglas County jail on a no-bail hold. At this time he is charged with possession of burglary tools, possession of paraphernalia, no driver's license in possession, expired registrations, no insurance, and a fugitive warrant.
According to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, both suspects have served previous prison time and are currently on felony probation due to separate crimes.
