More than $12 million of drugs seized around Central Valley in week span of busts
Within a week span during July, more than $12 million of drugs and drug monies were confiscated by the California Highway Patrol around the Central Valley.
The massive drug busts were a result of four CHP traffic stops, with three vehicles pulled over in Fresno County.
The biggest seizure among them took place in Merced County.
On July 21, CHP pulled over a Kia Soul for a traffic violation in Merced County.
The officer ended up seizing 161 pounds of fentany-laced pills, 133 pounds of methamphetamine and 37 pounds of cocaine.
Combined, the confiscated narcotics from that incident alone totalled $10.5 million.
More drugs would try to be moved in the Valley in the coming days.
Authorities said $1.3 millions of drugs were seized Monday in Fresno County after CHP stopped a vehicle and found 25 pounds of cocaine.
The drugs had been hidden inside a Ninja blender box located inside the vehicle, according to CHP.
On Wednesday, a CHP traffic stop in Fresno County led to a sergeant finding $120,000 in cash believed to be from the sale of narcotics.
CHP said the money was located in a “sophisticated hidden compartment constructed of a Jeep’s transmission tunnel.”
Then Thursday, CHP said a sergeant discovered a vehicle with $286,000 of drugs inside.
The traffic stop happened in Fresno County and approximately 6.5 pounds of fentanyl was found.
Suspects from Mexico, Wash., Calif.
A total of six people were arrested.
Five of them were younger than 25 years old.
Ponce Rosales 23, of Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico, was arrested from the Merced County bust. Rosales was a passenger in the vehicle. The driver fled the scene and hadn’t yet been located. Rosales was taken to the Los Banos City Jail on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine for sale, transportation of methamphetamine across noncontiguous counties, possession of cocaine/fentanyl for sale, and transportation of cocaine/fentanyl across noncontiguous counties.
Moises Delgado, 23, and Juan Carlos Suarez-Mendoza, 24, both of Wapato, Washington, were arrested and booked into the Fresno County Jail for various drug related charges, stemming from the 25 pounds of cocaine found.
Carlos Eduardo Paez Garcia, 31, of Fontana, California, was arrested for various criminal and drug related charges. Authorities said Paez Garcia was linked to the $120,000 in alleged drug money.
And Diana Isela Leyva-Pacheco, 22, and Daniel Rosas-Gomez, 23, both of Seattle, Washington, were arrested and booked into the Fresno County Jail for various drug related charges. They were booked following the seizure of 6.5 pounds of fentanyl.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration - DEA (DEA), two milligrams of fentanyl is a lethal dose. The fentanyl recovered in this case has the potential to kill 1.5 million people.
