Man arrested after over 11 pounds of fentanyl found inside car battery

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A man was arrested after over 11 pounds of fentanyl were found hidden inside a car battery during a traffic stop in Austin earlier this month.

According to an arrest affidavit, Luis Garduno Sanchez, 25, is charged with delivery of a controlled substance greater than 400 grams, a first-degree felony. He did not have an attorney listed online as of publication.

In the affidavit, police said on July 8, Austin Police officers spotted a white Chevy SUV on the service road of East U.S. Highway 290. Police tried to pull over the vehicle after they said the SUV changed lanes without using a turn signal.

The SUV took some time to pull over, the affidavit said, and the officers suspected the occupants "were involved in criminal activity."

Garduno Sanchez was identified as the passenger in the SUV, the affidavit said. As police were taking down the driver's information, officers said the driver seemed nervous.

One of the officers used a K9 to inspect outside the car, and the dog alerted to a "narcotic odor." Garduno Sanchez and the driver were then placed in handcuffs while the K9 checked the inside of the SUV.

The K9 alerted to a battery in the back of the vehicle, the affidavit said. When a cover from the top of the battery was removed, large bundles and wrapper-like materials were found.

The battery was scanned with an x-ray, and the bundles were opened to reveal "a white powdery substance," the affidavit said. Tests on the powder came back positive for fentanyl, and about 11.2 pounds of the drug were discovered.

Officers wrote in the affidavit, "this amount of fentanyl is the equivalent to over 5 million dosage units."