A Halloween afternoon stop on Wyoming’s Interstate 80 saw the arrest of a 19-year-old suspect after a K-9 unit alerted to the presence of contraband in the vehicle.
Troopers with the Wyoming Highway Patrol say in a Laramie County Circuit Court Affidavit that a passenger vehicle was stopped just before 6:00 p.m. October 31, after the vehicle was observed allegedly following too closely.
A K-9 unit from the Laramie County Sheriff’s office was deployed on the vehicle and alerted to the presence of controlled substances. WHP officials say that two ziplock bags were found inside of doggie-treat bags. Based on field testing, WHP suspected each bag to contain cocaine and methamphetamine respectively.
The lone occupant of the vehicle was described as a 19-year-old man who claimed to have been traveling from Salt Lake City to visit family in Cleveland, Ohio. He was subsequently arrested and charged during a November 2 Initial Appearance with felony charges of Possession of Cocaine With Intent to Deliver, Possession of Methamphetamine With Intent to Deliver, and Possession of Cocaine in a Felony Amount.
The suspect also faces misdemeanor charges of Following too Close and Minor in Possession of Alcohol.
All of those cited or arrested are presumed innocent until convicted in a court of law. Charges are subject to change following official filings from the Laramie County District Attorney’s Office.
The affidavit lists the approximate weight of the suspected methamphetamine to be 8.4 pounds and the weight of the suspected cocaine to be 4.6 pounds.
Alcoholic beverages were reportedly found in the suspect vehicle. Troopers say that a call with the rental company that owned the vehicle showed that the suspect was not an authorized driver.
The suspect, reportedly identified by a Venezuela passport as Jorge Alejandro Blanco Garcia, was arrested and transported to the Laramie County Detention Center.
He is expected to make a preliminary hearing at a later date, to see if the charges against him will be bound over to Laramie County District Court.
