Illegal window tint leads to big drug bust in southern Utah
By Pat Reavy
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CEDAR CITY, Utah (KSL) — Two men from Indianapolis were arrested in southern Utah Tuesday after police say they found nearly 40 pounds of methamphetamine in their vehicle.
A Utah Highway Patrol trooper pulled over a car with an Indiana license plate for having tinted windows that were too dark. The traffic stop was made on I-15 just outside of Cedar City.
The trooper learned that the driver did not have a valid license and the car belonged to the passenger, according to a police booking affidavit.
“During the traffic stop I started to be suspicious of criminal activity and called for a drug detection K-9,” the trooper noted, adding that when the K-9 arrived, the dog indicated the possible presence of drugs inside the vehicle.
“During a vehicle search we located two aftermarket compartments built into the rocker panels of the vehicle,” the affidavit states. “The ends were sealed with Bondo to try and conceal the entrance. Inside the compartments, we located approximately 38 pounds of methamphetamine.”
One man claimed he knew they were going to California to pick up drugs, while the other claimed he thought they were only transporting marijuana.
Jose Alfredo Benitez-Camargo, 22, and Carlos Gonzalez Sarmiento, 24, were each arrested for investigation of drug possession with intent to distribute, possession of drug paraphernalia and altering a vehicle compartment for the purpose of carrying contraband.
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