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Man arrested for possession of fentanyl in May arrested again in Montezuma County

John Muir was arrested May 1 and again on July 31 after being found in possession of fentanyl and methamphetamines. (Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office)
Suspect was found passed out behind the wheel of his vehicle in Mancos

An alleged fentanyl trafficker and distributor who was arrested in Montezuma County in May was arrested again Monday, July 31, after being found in possession of fentanyl pills.

John Louis Muir, 29, was arrested for the second time July 31 by Mancos Deputy Marshal Mike Morris after being found passed out in his vehicle behind the Conoco gas station in town.

Morris said they found various drug paraphernalia in his vehicle as well as meth and fentanyl pills.

According to Morris, Muir had five grams of methamphetamines and 10.5 grams of fentanyl.

He was charged with possession with the intent to distribute and was jailed.

Muir was out on bond from arrest May 1 and was found in possession of firearms and 295 fentanyl pills during that arrest.

The Montezuma-Cortez Narcotics Investigations Team received a tip that Muir was smuggling drugs into the county from Arizona on April 25, and was able to identify him for a traffic stop in May.

According to the affidavit filed by the arresting officer Shane Fletcher, when Muir was pulled over, he was nervous and didn’t have a driver’s license.

He admitted to Fletcher that he “had blues” in the car, but refused to let officers search.

After obtaining a search warrant, they found the fentanyl pills and a Beretta 9 mm firearm. He previously was convicted of a felony on July 14, 2016, and will face a Class 5 felony for possession of a firearm by a previous offender, among other drug charges that are yet to be determined.

Narcotics Investigations Team Detective Tom Quinnett said Muir had fentanyl pills that hadn’t been seen in the area before.

Muir was in possession of Tesla pills (pills that have the Tesla “T” on them), rainbow pills and blue pills.

He was in the process of adjudication and preparing to take a plea deal before his arrest.

Detective Quinnett noted the Montezuma County Narcotics Investigations Team remains committed to apprehending drug traffickers and distributors in the area.

“We’re going to continue to be vigilant with fentanyl and illicit drugs in our community, and we appreciate the cooperation with Mancos Marshals in their proactive work getting this guy,” Quinnett said.