Valley Briefs
Police seize four pounds of meth. Bike safety clinic to be held. Resident finds stolen forklift in backyard. Ronald McDonald House Charities picnic to be held.
During a traffic stop Wednesday afternoon, El Centro police officers discovered four pounds of methamphetamine inside of a vehicle, states an El Centro Police Department press release.
The driver of the vehicle, 27-year-old Mexicali resident Jose Luis Martinez-Rivera, and passenger, 30-year-old Mexicali resident Nichols Monnars Sanchez-Rivera, were arrested and booked at Imperial County jail. They face felony charges for possession of methamphetamine for sale and transportation of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, states the press release.
At 3:26 p.m. on Fourth Street and Ross Avenue, officers conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle, a Nissan Altima, after the driver failed to utilize his turn signal prior to making a turning movement, states the press release and El Centro Police Department call logs.
The officer approached the driver and asked for his driver’s license, vehicle registration and insurance. As the officer spoke with the driver, he noticed the driver and passenger appeared nervous and displayed abnormal behavior. Max, a certified narcotics detecting canine, was utilized to sniff the exterior of the vehicle and alerted to the odor of a controlled substance. A subsequent search of the vehicle led officers to discover approximately four pounds of methamphetamine inside a shopping bag on the passenger side floor board, states the press release.