In a bust straight out of a drug lord's nightmare, the Napa County Sheriff's K-9 unit sniffed out a massive haul of cocaine during a routine traffic stop just outside Calistoga. The stash, found on Franz Valley School Road, weighed in at around 9lbs and is estimated to be worth a whopping $200,000 in street value.
The afternoon patrol of January 30th that would shake up Napa's underbelly began with a deputy pulling over a vehicle for, what appeared to be a simple code violation. The Napa County Sheriff's Office said that officers were soon alerted to the scent of narcotics by K-9 "Ruger", a seasoned sniffer dog with the force. Benjamin Torres Meza, who was driving, and his passenger, Edgar Rodriguez, found themselves in handcuffs after a search of the car unearthed the sizeable quantity of drugs.
According to official reports, the duo faces serious charges, including possession of a controlled substance, possession with intent to sell, transportation for sale, and conspiracy to commit a crime. The discovery and subsequent arrests have taken a significant amount of cocaine off the streets, striking a blow to local illicit drug trade activities.
The success of the operation owes much to Ruger's trained nose—a tool more effective than any high-tech gadget in the war against drugs. Both men, now behind bars are awaiting their fate at the Napa County Department of Corrections—a place that has seen many a fall from grace for those caught in the web of drug trafficking.
