Drug task force seizes over 43 pounds of cocaine during I-70 traffic stop
Eagle County Sheriff’s Office/Courtesy photo
The Gore Range Narcotic Interdiction Team intercepted 43 pounds of cocaine early Thursday morning after stopping an eastbound pickup truck for a traffic violation on Interstate 70 just past Gypsum.
The Gore Range Narcotic Interdiction Team, or GRANITE, is a multi-jurisdictional drug task force composed of local law enforcement partners, detectives from the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office and the Vail Police Department.
The two occupants in the vehicle were contacted by a uniformed deputy who observed indicators of further criminal activity by the occupants. Both the driver and passenger consented to a vehicle search.
A search revealed 18 packages weighing over 43 pounds that presumptive tests indicated contained cocaine. A loaded .40 caliber handgun and four cell phones were also found in the vehicle.
The two men in the vehicle, Erik Manuel Garcia Maradiaga, 29, and Ney Natanael Maradiaga Burgos, 43, are each being held on a $100,000 bond. Both men are from Zephyr Hills, Florida. Each faces a first-degree felony charge of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance, a fourth-degree felony charge of possession of a controlled substance, as well as three other first-degree felony charges.
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Those who may have any information about the suspects or this crime can call the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office at 970-328-8500. If you would like to remain anonymous you can submit your tip online to the Eagle County Crime Stoppers at p3tips.com or send a mobile tip using the free ‘P3 Tips’ mobile app. If your tip leads to the arrest and indictment of any suspect involved, you could earn a CASH reward from the Eagle County Crime Stoppers.
