Indio Traffic Stop Leads To Seizure of Drugs, Guns And Illegal Auto-Switch Devices

INDIO, CA — A routine traffic stop by the Indio Police Department’s Street Crimes Unit on Wednesday led to the discovery of a major narcotics and weapons cache and the arrest of a man already out on bail for a homicide case, authorities said.

Around 5 p.m. on Nov. 19, detectives pulled over a vehicle near Gore Street and Avenue 42. During the stop, officers saw the driver, 45-year-old Marcos Cruz Gaeta Jr., discard roughly one pound of methamphetamine, according to IPD. He was immediately taken into custody. Investigators then secured a search warrant for his home.

At 5:57 p.m., detectives and K-9 officers, supported by regional partner agencies, served the warrant at a residence in the 82000 block of Pisa Court. Inside, police found nearly 20 pounds of methamphetamine, a quarter-pound of heroin, eight pounds of marijuana, Xanax pills, two assault rifles, three handguns, ammunition, high-capacity magazines, and several 3D-printed devices designed to convert Glock-style firearms into fully automatic weapons.

Gaeta, who has multiple prior felony convictions and was out on bail for a 2016 homicide case, was booked into the John Benoit Detention Center on a long list of narcotics and weapons-related charges. A woman found inside the home was detained but later released.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Indio Police Department at 760-391-4057 or provide anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers at 760-341-STOP.