40+ Pounds of Meth Reportedly Discovered During Traffic Stop in Fresno County
Above: Suspected narcotics recovered during search of vehicle
(Photos courtesy of Merced CHP)
FRESNO COUNTY — Two individuals were apprehended on narcotics charges by California Highway Patrol officers during a traffic stop on Interstate 5 on the afternoon of Friday, September 29. The stop, involving a 2013 Dodge Durango, was reportedly initiated by a Central Valley CHP K-9 sergeant for a traffic violation.
According to a press release by the Merced area CHP office, officers made contact with the driver and discovered that he did not have a license and the vehicle was not registered in his name. Officers conducted an inventory of the vehicle and reportedly discovered over 40 pounds of crystal methamphetamine in the rear cargo area, with an estimated street value of over $380,000.
The occupants of the vehicle were identified as Ricardo Jose Melgar, 32, of Gilory and Leslie Patino Higareda, 24, of San Jose. Both individuals were taken into custody.
Melgar was booked at the Fresno County jail on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine for sale and transportation of methamphetamine across noncontiguous counties.
The case has been transferred to the Fresno High Impact Investigation Team, a collaborative effort involving various law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the California Department of Justice, the California Highway Patrol, and several local sheriff’s offices and the Fresno Police Department.
The investigation remains active and ongoing.
It was unclear at press time whether either individual had retained an attorney. Any person arrested on suspicion of a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
