Two women were arrested and charged after more than 108 pounds of methamphetamine were seized during what authorities described as a routine traffic stop on Interstate 5.
California Highway Patrol officers pulled over Jerica Anderson, 39, and Rochelle Beck, 59, just before 3:30 a.m. on Jan. 5 as they were driving north on the I-5, just south of Highway 12, according to a press release from the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office.
During the stop, officers said they noted “conflicting stories from the two individuals regarding their travel origins and destination,” according to the press release.
A CHP K-9 officer alerted investigators to the presence of narcotics, giving officers probable cause to search the vehicle, where they found a bag containing about 108.75 pounds, or more than 49 kilograms, of methamphetamine, the DA’s office said.
Officials described the amount of drugs as, “a massive quantity intended for distribution,” according to the press release.
Anderson and Beck were taken into custody and booked into the San Joaquin County Jail, the DA’s office said. They appeared for arraignment in San Joaquin County Superior Court, where bail was set at $150,000 for each, according to the press release.
However, Beck has a total bail of $185,000, for a misdemeanor charge of trespassing on railroad property, county jail records show.
They were each charged with four felony counts of possessing and transporting controlled substances, according to county jail records. The women are scheduled to return to court on Jan. 30, for further proceedings.
District Attorney Ron Freitas commended the CHP’s quick action.
“The California Highway Patrol’s excellent enforcement work resulted in the seizure of more than 108 pounds of methamphetamine from our highways,” Freitas said in the press release. “My office will not hesitate to use the law to its fullest extent to stop these traffickers and keep this poison out of our communities.”
The district attorney’s office also gave a special shoutout to K-9 Officer Hanks, calling him “a very good boy!” for his role in detecting the drugs.
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