20,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills, guns seized in Tri-Cities area fentanyl bust

The Tri-Cities Metro Drug Task Force with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration seized 20,000 fentanyl pills, cocaine and four guns in drug busts on Sunday, according to federal court documents.

They had search warrants for a GMC Sierra driven by Jose Antonio Guzman-Garcia, 43, and a Dodge Ram driven by Eduardo Gonzalez-Rodriguez, 34, of Benton City.

The fentanyl pills were found in the pickup driven by Guzman-Garcia, whose address was not listed in court documents. The pills were described in court documents as counterfeit oxycodone blue pills stamped “M-30.”

Guzman-Garcia allegedly admitted that he was going to deliver the pills to one of Gonzalez-Rodriguez’s customers. A search of his cell phone found messages indicating they were working together to coordinate the delivery of the pills, according to court documents.

Gonzalez-Rodriguez was carrying a large amount of money when he was arrested, according to court documents.

His Benton City home on north Webber Canyon Road also was searched.

Investigators found about 500 grams of cocaine and four guns, plus a small baggie of blue pills and a digital scale, according to court documents.

Indictments were filed against both men Thursday in federal court on grand jury charges of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.

Both were booked into the Benton County jail early Sunday.

DEA agents in the case were based in the Tri-Cities and Spokane.