Uintah Basin Strike Force Arrests Three for Drug Possession

Jun 30
2 min read

| by Travis Uresk | June 30^th 2026 |

Roosevelt, Utah (6/24/26)—The Uintah Basin Narcotics Strike Force stopped a vehicle on Highway 40 in Roosevelt for crossing the center line several times.

Agents checked the vehicle's records and found that the registered owner, 39-year-old Bailey Ryan Birchell, had a suspended driver's license due to a lack of insurance.

Bailey presented her state-issued driver's license, while the front passenger offered her ID in an effort to switch places with Bailey. The passenger, identified as 35-year-old Rosemaria Jaqueline Ontiveros, had a valid license.

The back seat passenger, 39-year-old Bret J. Reed, was recognized by law enforcement and was known to be on parole. Before the stop, Bret made suspicious movements in the back seat, suggesting he was trying to hide something. AP&P authorized a search based on Reed's parole status.

When Bret was asked to exit the vehicle for a search, he claimed he had no belongings in the car, did not know the other occupants, and was simply getting a ride home.

Agents found a small blue M30 Fentanyl pill on the floor where Bret was seated, which he denied ownership of. All three passengers were asked to step out of the vehicle and were detained in handcuffs while the car was searched.

Bret faced a charge of possession of a controlled substance since the pill was located directly where he was sitting and no one claimed it. Due to three previous possession convictions and one distribution conviction in the last seven years, this charge will be elevated to a second-degree felony.

Rosemaria complied with the request to leave the car but attempted to take her purse. She was instructed to leave it inside. A search of the purse uncovered tinfoil with burnt residue and a piece of a blue pill, confirmed to be Fentanyl.

After being read her rights, Ontiveros admitted ownership of the Fentanyl found in her purse and stated she had consumed Fentanyl about two hours before the traffic stop.

Bailey was also read her Miranda rights and agreed to talk with law enforcement. When asked about drugs in the vehicle, she admitted to having tooter straws, syringes, foil, and some marijuana. These items were found in a black bag she identified as hers, with her name written on the inside.

The agents allowed Bailey to remove any drugs from her person before being taken to jail, and she disclosed having a small bag of Fentanyl pills hidden in her underwear.

Bailey was taken to the UBMC for medical clearance, then transported and booked into the Duchesne County Jail on possession of Fentanyl, the pill in the bag on her person, the loose pill in the vehicle she was driving, the Marijuana in her purse, the Heroin residue on the burnt foil in her purse, and the possession of drug paraphernalia for the syringes, foil and tooter straws with drug residue.

A full vehicle search uncovered additional illegal substances and drug paraphernalia. All three occupants were transported to the Duchesne County Jail.