Two separate traffic stops in Bellmead led to five arrests and McLennan County Sheriff’s Office deputies seizing 32 pounds of meth.

Get our free mobile app

The suspects are facing anywhere from 15 to 99 years behind bars.

Traffic Stop 1

According to the Waco Tribune-Herald, the arrests happened just over a week ago in two separate traffic stops, about 45 minutes apart, in Bellmead, Texas. Arrest affidavits show the first traffic stop happened at 2:43pm when a tan sedan was pulled over for not using a turn signal and making an unsafe lane change.

Police officers saw opened alcoholic beverage containers and smelled weed which then lead to a search of the vehicle. Officers found several blunts, $4,245 in cash and around 6.5 pounds of meth in a backpack. All four occupants of the vehicle were arrested.

Maria Teresa Avila Ramirez, 31; Julie Ann Avila, 32; Laris Alan Penaloza Molina, 22; and Felix Morales Virelas, 36, all from Dallas were taken into custody and are being charged with manufacturing or delivering a controlled substance over 400 grams which is a first-degree felony. Each person is also being held on $1 million bond.

Traffic Stop 2

The next stop happened at 3:30pm when officers pulled over a white pickup truck for  failing to use a turn signal and having window tint over the legal limit. Juan Manuel Medellin-Hernandez, 46, of Garland, admitted to having drugs in the vehicle to which officers found a plastic tub containing several baggies of meth were discovered, which totaled about 26 pounds, according to the arrest affidavit.

Medellin-Hernandez was arrested and charged with manufacturing or delivering a controlled substance which is a first-degree felony and is being held on $1 million bond.

Clean The Streets

In all around 32 pounds of meth were taken off the streets within about 45 minutes. That's a lot of dope. Last month, McLennan County Sheriff’s Office Deputies made a bust that resulted in the seizure of 39 pounds of meth. In all, nearly 97 pounds of meth has been taken off the streets in the last five months with a street value of $1.3 million.

Sheriff Parnell McNamara says,  “I’m proud of these guys’ hard work getting that much dope off the streets and we’re not going to let up."  

The war on drugs continues.

The Top 10 Worst Places to Live in Texas

While it's always a good idea to know about areas with the lowest crime rates and best recreational opportunities when you are looking for a place to live, it’s also important to know which places to avoid. Even if you move to a neighborhood with a low crime rate, you could also be close to less safe communities.

Here are the top 10 worst places to live in Texas according to moneyinc.com.

The Most Dangerous City in Texas for 2022 May Surprise You

According to FBI statistics, Texas had 438 violent crimes and 2,562 property crimes per 100,000 residents as of this year. For every 100,000 residents, there are 224 police officers statewide.

Crime rates are expressed as the number of incidents per 100,000 people.

More From KLTD-FM