A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City has indicted a Mexican national on drug charges following the seizure of fentanyl and heroin from his vehicle during a traffic stop. Miguel Mario Soto De Santiago, 23, residing in Bluffdale, Utah, was initially charged by complaint on February 20, 2025.
Court documents reveal that the Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF) initiated a criminal investigation into Soto De Santiago and other alleged members of a drug trafficking organization suspected of distributing narcotics throughout Utah and the United States. On February 19, agents stopped a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee registered to Soto De Santiago in Juab County. A K-9 officer detected narcotics in the vehicle. Agents confiscated approximately 5,027 grams of fentanyl and about 1,103 grams of heroin.
Soto De Santiago faces charges of possession with intent to distribute both fentanyl and heroin. His initial court appearance is set for March 6 at 2:00 p.m., before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in Salt Lake City.
Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah announced the indictment.
The case is being jointly investigated by WMDTF, which includes the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office and Davis Metro Narcotic Strike Force (DMNSF). The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is handling prosecution.
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) initiative aimed at dismantling major criminal organizations using a coordinated approach. Further details on OCDETF can be found at https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf.
It should be noted that an indictment is merely an allegation; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in court.