On Saturday, March 17, 2018, DINT Detectives seized a historical amount of methamphetamine. During an operation taking place over the weekend, DINT contacted two subjects in a traffic stop on I-5 near milepost 151.
During the stop, a canine, Trapper, was applied to the vehicle and alerted to the presence of narcotics. Detectives searched the vehicle and located what appeared to be a very large amount of methamphetamine.
Both occupants of the vehicle were arrested. The meth was seized and transported to DINT where it could be processed and tested. The total amount of meth seized was approximately 74 pounds, net weight, which is the largest single seizure of meth in DINT history.
DINT also seized an undisclosed amount of cash, and the suspect's vehicle.
30 year old ISRAEL SALVADOR MERCADO-MENDOZA, of Creswell, Oregon, and 33 year old RIGOBERTO MORFIN-PEDROZA, of Los Angeles, CAlifornia were both arrested and lodged in the Douglas County Jail on charges of Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine, Unlawful Delivery of Methamphetamine, and Unlawful Manufacture of Methamphetamine.
If sold by the pound, in local street value this meth would be worth approximately $370,000. It would be worth much more if broken down and sold in smaller quantities.
DINT was assisted by the Oregon State Police in this case.