FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) – Two people were arrested after a California Highway Patrol officer seized five pounds of fentanyl in a traffic stop on Interstate 5 in Fresno County.
The discovery of the drugs, with an estimated street value of approximately $200,000, resulted in the arrest of 52-year-old, Roque Olivares Cortes of Palo Alto and 44-year-old, Fabian Gonzalez Hera of San Jose.
Officials say on Feb. 6 at 3 p.m., a Central Valley CHP K-9 officer conducted an enforcement stop on a 2017 Honda Accord for a traffic violation.
The stop occurred on northbound I-5 at California Avenue. During the contact, the officer noted several indicators that led him to believe the occupants were engaged in criminal activity, according to officials.
The officer deployed his canine partner “Hutch” on the exterior of the Honda. Hutch gave a positive alert to the odor of narcotics. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, the officer found approximately five pounds of fentanyl within the trunk compartment of the Honda, officials said.