28,000 Fentanyl Laced Pills Seized 

February 4, 2025 – Kern County Sheriff’s Office officials report that on February 2, 2025, at approximately 2:40 p.m., a Kern County Sheriff’s Office patrol deputy conducted a traffic enforcement stop on a Mazda SUV for vehicle code violations near the intersection of Washington Street and Feliz Drive. The investigation resulted in the seizure of a large amount of fentanyl and the arrest of two adults.

During the traffic enforcement investigation, the driver, Guadalupe Paz, (age 33) of Bakersfield, and passenger Jose Machado, (age 22) of Bakersfield were contacted along with three (3) juvenile children. A California Highway Patrol Officer/K-9 unit arrived and assisted the patrol deputy during the investigation. A search of the vehicle resulted in over 28,000 suspected fentanyl laced (M-30) pills being located/seized from within the passenger compartment.

Due to the large amount of narcotics located, detectives from the Kern County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (KC-HIDTA) Task Force were called out and assumed the investigation.

At the conclusion of the investigation, Lupe Paz and Jose Machado were both arrested and booked into the Kern County Sheriff’s Office, Lerdo Justice Facility for the following charges: possession of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of sales, transportation of a controlled substance, child endangerment and conspiracy to commit a crime.

Source & photo: Kern County Sheriff’s Office