Driver arrested after CHP officer, K-9 find suspected drugs during Merced County stop

Andrew Kuhn
·1 min read

A driver was arrested during a Merced County traffic stop after a California Highway Patrol officer and CHP K-9 located suspected narcotics inside the vehicle, according to authorities.

At about 12:50 p.m. on Jan. 14, a CHP officer stopped a 2017 black Honda Accord in the area of northbound Interstate 5 at Highway 33 for a window tint violation, according to a CHP news release. During the stop, the officer reportedly noticed multiple factors that led him to believe the driver, identified as 35-year-old Mayra Martinez of Panorama City, was engaged in criminal activity.

The officer called upon CHP K-9 Bruce to conduct a sniff of the vehicle’s exterior and alerted the officer to the odor of narcotics, the CHP said. Martinez reportedly gave consent to search the vehicle and officers found about 15 pounds of suspected methamphetamine located in a coffee box and chicken nugget box on the vehicle’s rear seat.

Martinez was arrested on suspicion of possession for sale and transportation of sale of narcotics, according to the release. The charges are pending with the Merced County District Attorney’s Office, the CHP said.

A driver was arrested during a Merced County traffic stop on Interstate 5 at State Route 33 on Jan. 14, after a California Highway Patrol officer and CHP K-9 located about 15 pounds of suspected methamphetamine inside a coffee box and a chicken nugget box on the vehicle’s rear seat, according to the CHP. Image courtesy of California Highway Patrol.
A driver was arrested during a Merced County traffic stop on Interstate 5 at State Route 33 on Jan. 14, after a California Highway Patrol officer and CHP K-9 located about 15 pounds of suspected methamphetamine inside a coffee box and a chicken nugget box on the vehicle’s rear seat, according to the CHP. Image courtesy of California Highway Patrol.