Two men arrested in Orange County drug bust, children present during deal

Orange County sheriff’s deputies and federal agents arrested two men Monday after they said they saw a drug deal where children were present.

The sheriff’s office said it happened in a parking lot off Fordham Boulevard near the intersection of Sage Road.

Octavio Lopez, 31, of Raleigh, is charged with maintaining a vehicle or dwelling place for the sale of controlled substances, two counts of trafficking in opium or heroin and two counts of misdemeanor child abuse because his two young children were present at the time.

The sheriff’s office said the children were not harmed and left the scene in the custody of their mother. Authorities notified Child Protective Services.

Sergio Aguiar, 36, of Winston-Salem, is charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture, sell, and deliver fentanyl, the sale and delivery of fentanyl, and three counts of trafficking in opium or heroin.

After a search of the cars, authorities seized and seized a trafficking-level quantity of narcotics, specifically fentanyl-laced cocaine.

“Fentanyl first appeared in our community as a cutting agent in heroin,” Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood said in a news release. “Now, we are also seeing it in methamphetamine and cocaine.

“It’s difficult to help people understand just how lethal this chemical can be. Those who use narcotics are at risk of accidental overdose if the amount of fentanyl in their drug of choice is more than they are accustomed to. Even incidental contact with trace amounts of the drug can cause serious problems for a person with no tolerance to such chemical agents.”

Authorities are holding Lopez on a $250,000 secured bond and Aguiar on a $200,000 secured bond.

Both men are due in court Tuesday afternoon.