California Highway Patrol Reportedly Seizes 11 Pounds of Cocaine in Fresno County
Photo courtesy of CHP – Merced
“FRESNO, Calif. – California Highway Patrol (CHP) K-9 sergeant seized approximately 11 pounds of cocaine during a traffic stop on Interstate 5 (I-5) in Fresno County. The discovery of the drugs, with an estimated street value of approximately $399,520 resulted in the arrest of Juan Manuel Castillo Barajas, 38, of Ceres, Ca.
On May 17, 2024, at 7 p.m., a Central Valley CHP K-9 sergeant conducted an enforcement stop on a 2015 Toyota Tacoma for a traffic violation. The stop occurred on northbound I-5 at Nees Avenue. During the contact, the sergeant noted several factors that led him to believe the male driver was engaged in criminal activity. A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of a gym bag containing approximately 11 pounds of Cocaine.
The driver, Barajas, was arrested, and the case was turned over to the Fresno High Impact Investigation Team (HIIT), which is a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Initiative composed of law enforcement personnel from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the California Department of Justice; the CHP; the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, the Fresno, Madera, and Kings Counties Sheriff’s Offices; and the Fresno Police Department. Barajas was booked into the Fresno County Jail on the charges of possession of cocaine for sale, and transportation of cocaine across noncontiguous counties.”
