17,000 Suspected Fentanyl Pills Seized During Traffic Stop in Guttenberg, Police Say

A routine traffic stop in Guttenberg led to the seizure of approximately 17,000 blue pills believed to contain fentanyl, according to the Guttenberg Police Department.

Police said detectives with the Criminal Investigations Unit were patrolling near John F. Kennedy Boulevard East and 69th Street around 12:17 p.m. on July 22 when they observed a 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross making an improper U-turn. After stopping the vehicle for multiple traffic violations, detectives identified the driver as Luis A. Valerio-Vargas, 65, of Allentown, Pennsylvania.

According to investigators, Valerio-Vargas told officers he had traveled from Pennsylvania for construction work and had picked up another individual near the Galaxy Towers before planning to continue to the area of 98th Street and Bergenline Avenue.

During the investigation, detectives requested assistance from the North Bergen Police Department K-9 Unit. Police said K-9 Rex conducted a free-air sniff and alerted to the presence of narcotics inside the vehicle. A subsequent search allegedly uncovered approximately 17,000 circular blue pills believed to contain fentanyl.

Valerio-Vargas was arrested and charged with multiple offenses, including:

• Manufacturing, distributing, or dispensing a Schedule I or II controlled dangerous substance
• Distribution of a controlled dangerous substance within 500 feet of public property
• Distribution within 1,000 feet of school property
• Counterfeit drugs
• Possession of a controlled dangerous substance
• Possession of drug paraphernalia

He was also issued several motor vehicle summonses, including careless driving, improper U-turn, failure to signal, and possession of a controlled dangerous substance in a motor vehicle.

Police said Valerio-Vargas was remanded to the Hudson County Correctional Center pending his first appearance in Hudson County Superior Court.

Guttenberg Police Chief Frank Pelaez praised the detectives involved, saying their work potentially prevented thousands of suspected fentanyl pills from reaching the streets and thanked the North Bergen Police Department and its K-9 Unit for their assistance.