A 52-year-old Fillmore man is behind bars after Redding police say a traffic stop near Highway 273 and Cedars Road turned up a handgun with no serial number, roughly 20 ounces of suspected methamphetamine and about an ounce of fentanyl. Miguel Morales was booked into the Shasta County Jail on multiple drug and weapons charges following the stop.
According to Action News Now, the Redding Police Department's Neighborhood Police Unit spotted a vehicle with multiple code violations near Highway 273 and Cedars Road and pulled it over for traffic enforcement. Officers identified the driver as Morales, who is from Fillmore, California.
What the Search Turned Up
Police conducted a probable-cause search of Morales' vehicle, per Redding authorities. That search produced approximately 20 ounces of suspected methamphetamine and around one ounce of fentanyl, officers said. They also recovered a handgun with no serial number, which investigators identified as a ghost gun — an untraceable firearm assembled without manufacturer markings.
Officers determined that Morales was out on post-release community supervision at the time of the stop, the station's report states. He was transported to the Shasta County Jail and booked on multiple drug and weapons charges.
Part of a Broader Pattern in Shasta County
This isn't the first time Redding-area traffic stops and investigations have turned up large quantities of narcotics and unregistered firearms. In April 2025, a Redding Police Bike Team investigation reportedly resulted in the seizure of nearly 20 pounds of methamphetamine, four ounces of fentanyl and 1.5 ounces of heroin, according to Action News Now. A separate raid on a Redding drug house in February 2025 led to seven arrests and the seizure of methamphetamine, fentanyl, paraphernalia and a stolen motorized bike, KRCR reported.
Ghost guns have also surfaced in other recent North State and Bay Area cases. In August, Santa Rosa police arrested an 18-year-old man after a traffic stop uncovered a ghost gun in his possession, according to the East Bay Times. And in January, the California Highway Patrol arrested a Shasta County man after discovering an alleged cache of firearms, including an assault rifle and a machine gun, in what the Redding Record Searchlight described as an underground bunker.
No further details on formal charges, a court date, or Morales' legal representation have been released. The case adds to a string of recent narcotics and weapons seizures tied to traffic stops across Shasta County.
