ROCKLIN, Calif. – On November 17 at 2:44 p.m., a Placer County Sheriff’s deputy conducted a traffic stop at the Rocklin Road exit which led to a major drug bust.

The deputy contacted the occupants and detained them while his partner, K-9 Ruger, helped him search the vehicle. Ruger began conducting a “sniff” of the vehicle and alerted his handler when he reached the passenger’s side.

The deputy found a duffle bag on the floorboard behind the passenger seat containing numerous blue tablets, suspected to be fentanyl. Upon further investigation, it was determined there were nearly 60,000 suspected fentanyl pills in the duffle bag, which weighed about 15 pounds.

Both suspects, 30-year-old Jorge Vega and 30-year-old Oscar Silvas, were arrested for possession of a controlled substance and transportation/sales of a controlled substance.

In a Facebook post, PCSO said, “We commend our deputies for the following arrest, as they potentially saved countless lives here in Placer County! We want our community to understand how seriously we take each traffic stop and encounter with those who do not follow the law – our purpose is to ensure the safety of our community, especially from this deadly synthetic opioid.”