A routine traffic stop on Highway 49 in Concord turned into a major drug bust when Cabarrus County deputies said they recovered nearly 80 pounds of methamphetamine from a vehicle on April 29.
Deputies said the driver, Benjamin Hernandez, was arrested and charged with trafficking methamphetamine after the stop. He was issued a $1,000,000 secured bond and is being held under an ICE detainer while the investigation continues, according to the sheriff’s office.
According to deputies, the vehicle was initially pulled over for a regulatory violation. K-9 Udo was brought in to check the car and alerted to the presence of narcotics. That prompted a probable-cause search, which deputies said turned up about 78.7 pounds of methamphetamine inside the vehicle, as reported by WBTV. The outlet noted that deputies released photos of the packaged drugs and identified Hernandez as the driver. The seizure, investigators said, was the result of proactive traffic enforcement along Highway 49.
Sheriff Praises Proactive Enforcement
Sheriff Van W. Shaw publicly credited his deputies for spotting the case before it reached local streets. “This case is a direct result of proactive enforcement and the vigilance of our deputies,” he said, as reported by WBTV. Shaw added that efforts like this help “disrupt the flow of dangerous drugs” and protect Cabarrus County families.
What an ICE Detainer Means
Hernandez is currently being held under an ICE detainer, which is not the same thing as a deportation order. An ICE detainer is a request from federal immigration authorities asking a local jail to keep someone in custody so Immigration and Customs Enforcement can assume custody, according to USA.gov. Policies on honoring detainers and their legal effect vary by jurisdiction, and civil-rights advocates have scrutinized the practice in recent years.
How This Fits Into a Wider Crackdown
The seizure comes as federal and local prosecutors in the Charlotte region continue to pursue large-scale meth trafficking cases. Authorities have brought several multi-kilogram prosecutions this year that focus on high-volume suppliers moving drugs into the Carolinas, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina. The office has recently announced sentences and indictments tied to kilogram-level shipments.
Where Detainees Are Held
Hernandez remains in Cabarrus County custody. The county’s Detention Center in Concord lists its address and inmate-lookup tools on its website. For facility details and booking information, see the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center page.
Public records do not yet indicate whether federal prosecutors will pick up the case. Similar large meth seizures in the region have, in some instances, led to federal indictments. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Cabarrus Crime Stoppers or the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office through the county website.
