A routine traffic stop by a Union County Sheriff's deputy turned into a significant drug bust earlier this week in Marshville. The deputy, part of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Unit, flagged a car for a minor equipment violation, leading to the discovery of roughly 15 kilograms of suspected cocaine, according to the Union County Sheriff's Office. Estefani Sandoval and Gilberto Juarez, both of Monroe, now face serious charges.
The traffic stop escalated when UCSO K-9 Zander performed an open-air sniff of the vehicle, alerting deputies to the presence of narcotics. Their search uncovered the hidden stash of drugs and, surprisingly, four small children. The children were subsequently released to a guardian that was called to the scene. Both Sandoval and Juarez were arrested by UCSO Narcotics Detectives and face felony trafficking in cocaine among other charges.
Fulfilling his duty with vigilance, Sheriff Eddie Cathey praised the deputies and detectives for their "proactive work." He credited the traffic stop with not only arresting two reputed traffickers but also with intercepting a large cache of drugs intended for distribution, as noted in a statement obtained by the Union County Sheriff's Office.
Sandoval is currently detained with a secured bond set at $2 million, while Juarez posted his $200,000 bond and has been released. The Union County Sheriff's Office conveyed that the investigation is still under way, hinting at the possibility of more developments in this narcotics case.
