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

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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.

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