Gaston County Traffic Stop Leads To Seizure Of $50,000 Worth Of Fentanyl
GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — A traffic stop in Gaston County led to a trafficking amount of opioids and the arrest of two Tennessee men on Jan. 26.
According to a news release, around 11:30 a.m., a Gaston County Police Department K9 officer conducted a traffic stop on a Nissan Maxima on North New Hope Road near I-85.
The traffic stop conducted was in coordination with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on a narcotics investigation related to the trafficking of fentanyl into Gaston County.
During the traffic stop, the officerβs canine was alerted to the odor of narcotics in the vehicle. The search resulted in the seizure of more than two pounds of fentanyl, which has a street value in excess of $50,000, according to police.
The driver of the Maxima, identified as Ruben Perez, was arrested and charged with three counts of trafficking opiates and maintaining a vehicle for selling a controlled substance, police said. The passenger, identified by authorities as Angel Vega, was arrested and charged with three counts of trafficking opiates.
Perez and Vega were each held at the Gaston County Jail on $500,000 secured bonds.
