98 Pounds Of Meth Found During I-15 Traffic Stop South Of Temecula

MURRIETA, CA — A Murrieta police officer who recently attended a class aimed at snaring drug haulers on Southern California highways made a sizable bust during the training.

According to the Murrieta Police Department, the officer, along with U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents and a police K-9, uncovered 98 pounds of methamphetamine during the 10:37 a.m. June 12 Interstate 15 traffic stop south of Temecula, near Rainbow Valley Boulevard. The illicit narcotic was allegedly hidden throughout the suspect vehicle, including in the gas tank, center console, seats and fenders.

The driver of the gray Nissan Altima, 21-year-old William Chen Gamez of Whittier, was arrested on suspicion of transporting a controlled substance and booked into a San Diego County jail in Vista, police said.

The bust was not planned, but the training class's timing benefitted law enforcement's efforts to curb narcotics transportation. The class was presented by the U.S. Border Patrol as part of a counter-fentanyl effort that began across Southern California last October.

"The operation focuses on intelligence collection and partnerships and utilizes local Customs and Border Protection (CBP) field assets augmented by federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial partners to boost resources, increase collaboration, and target the smuggling of fentanyl into the United States," according to Murrieta police.