Tip leads Utah County detectives to massive drug bust in Provo; father and son arrested
-
- A variety of drugs allegedly seized during a the execution of a search warrant at the home of Brian and Clint Pendleton in Provo on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025.
-
- A photo of carfentanil reportedly seized by police during a recent investigation, with a $5 bill next to it for scale.
A father and son were arrested after detectives confiscated a stockpile of drugs and several firearms in Provo, the Utah County Sheriff’s Office announced in a press release Thursday.
Brian Pendleton, 60, and Clint Pendleton, 29, were arrested Wednesday and booked into the Utah County Jail. They are being held without bail on suspicion of drug distribution, drug possession and unlawful firearm possession, though neither of the men had been formally charged as of Friday afternoon.
According to court documents, the Utah County Major Crimes Task Force was contacted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security about a suspicious package that was intercepted on its way from outside of the United States to a home in Provo.
Homeland Security agents who seized the package allegedly discovered 20.8 grams of carfentanil inside of it. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the synthetic opioid is 100 times more potent than fentanyl and 10,000 times stronger than morphine.
“The 20.8 grams of Carfentanil would be near 210,000 likely lethal doses,” the release said.
Investigators with the task force identified the Pendletons as the intended recipients of the package, obtained a search warrant of the residence where the two men live and found a “substantial amount of illicit drugs” inside, according to the release.
Detectives said Brian Pendleton had no prior criminal history, but his son Clint was alleged to be a known drug user.
As authorities were executing the search warrant of the home Wednesday, Brian Pendleton reportedly was located in his room, where deputies recovered 20.8 grams of heroin, 41.7 grams of methamphetamine, 173 suspected fentanyl pills, 105 grams of marijuana, 10 Xanax pills, 5 amphetamine pills, four firearms and multiple items of drug paraphernalia such as pipes, a digital scale and packaging materials, court documents state.
Inside Clint Pendleton’s bedroom, deputies said methamphetamine and additional drug paraphernalia were located, as well as a phone that reportedly was being used to receive text alerts to track the package, the documents claim.
Police tested the urine and blood of both men during the investigation and, reportedly, Clint Pendleton’s urine tested positive for amphetamine, suboxone, fentanyl, ecstasy, methamphetamine, opiates and THC, the main psychoactive compound in marijuana. Brian Pendleton’s urine tested positive for amphetamines, fentanyl, methamphetamine and opiates, according to the court documents.
The sheriff’s office said the investigation is ongoing.
