YCSO found heroin and cocaine in a tire during an Arizona traffic stop that exceeded a street value of $600,000
Sedona AZ (November 2, 2015) – On October 22, 2015, at approximately 7:30 in the morning, a Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office K9 deputy stopped a gray 2015 Nissan Altima for an unsafe lane change violation east on Interstate 40 near Crookton Road, Ash Fork, Arizona. The driver, 26-year-old Casiano Angulo Jr., and passenger, Ignacio Soto Jr., 25, lived in the Los Angeles, California, area.
During a discussion about the traffic violation, the deputy detected signs of deception and nervousness from Angulo regarding his travel plans and relationship to passenger Soto. At one point, Angulo admitted there was a small amount of marijuana inside the vehicle, along with a small quantity of cocaine hidden in his cell phone case. The deputy spoke with Soto who acknowledged that marijuana would be found in the vehicle and agreed to a consent search.
During the search, deputies located a spare tire in the trunk area that did not match the type of rim and tire for the Nissan model being driven. The tire was also unusually heavy and difficult to remove. When the tire was cut open, deputies found several sealed packages of cocaine and heroin. Later examination revealed 30 pounds of packaged cocaine and 4.5 pounds of packaged heroin. Deputies did find a bindle of cocaine in a cell phone case and marijuana inside the vehicle as Angulo had earlier indicated. The street value of this combination load was later estimated to exceed well over $600,000.
As a result, both Angulo and Soto were arrested and booked at the Camp Verde Detention Center on charges including Transportation of Narcotics and Drugs for Sales. Angulo and Soto pled guilty to the associated charges and each was sentenced to five years in the Department of Corrections.
In a second incident near Ash Fork on October 30, 2015, YCSO K9 deputies seized 142 pounds of marijuana during a traffic stop on east I-40. While speaking with the driver, Thanh Phung, 39, from Berkeley, California, deputies could smell the odor of marijuana coming from inside his silver sedan. A subsequent search revealed several packages of processed marijuana with a total weight of 142 pounds.
Phung was booked at the Camp Verde Detention Center on charges including Transportation and Possession of Marijuana for Sale. He remains in-custody on a $110,000 bond.
Several recent traffic stops have resulted in the seizure of more than 130 pounds of marijuana by a very busy YCSO K9 team. Some of these cases remain under investigation. The team continues to remain active with the goal of stopping the flow of drugs into and through Yavapai County.
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get it off the streets around here