Man charged; YCSO says it found stash of meth in vehicle
BY JAMES GILBERT
SUN STAFF WRITER
The Yuma man arrested this week after several pounds of methamphetamine were reportedly found in his vehicle during a traffic stop was formally arraigned in South County Justice Court on Friday.
Angel Ramirez, 44, was informed that a criminal complaint had been filed against him.
Appearing before Justice of the Peace Juan Guerrero, Ramirez was told that he was charged with transportation of a dangerous drug for sale and possession of drug paraphernalia involving methamphetamine, both of which are felonies.
In addition to appointing the Yuma County Public Defender’s Office to represent him, Judge Guerrero also scheduled his next court appearance – a preliminary hearing – for 2 p.m. on Sept. 8.
Rodriguez remains in custody at the Yuma County jail on a $100,000 bond.
According to the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office, at approximately 5:11 p.m. on Tuesday a deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 2019 Dodge Ram in the 1400 block of South Avenue D in Somerton on a civil infraction.
During the course of the stop, the deputy requested the assistance of YCSO K-9 “Jax,” who alerted to the vehicle during a sniff search.
When deputies searched the pickup truck they found multiple packages containing methamphetamine hidden throughout the vehicle.
In total, 25 packages were found, which had a combined weight of approximately 25.58 pounds and an estimated street value of more than $232,000.
The amount of meth seized was equivalent to 115,000 individual doses.
Ramirez, who YCSO said was the driver of the vehicle, was arrested and booked into the county jail by the Yuma County Narcotics Task Force (YCNTF) .
He was arrested on charges of transportation of dangerous drugs, possession of dangerous drugs for sale, possession of dangerous drugs, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The (YCNTF) is a multi-agency task force composed of officers and agents from the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office, the Yuma Police Department, the U.S. Border Patrol, and the Homeland Security Investigations.
The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office reminds the public to call (928) 783-4427 to report any suspected drug activity or visit their website at www.yumacountysheriff.org to submit an anonymous tip.