Traffic Stop Leads to Seizure of Cocaine
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RIVERSIDE — A motorist who was pulled over by a California Highway Patrol officer in Fontana for not displaying a front license plate on his pickup was arrested after the officer discovered 392 kilos of cocaine inside the vehicle, officials said Wednesday.
Two alleged accomplices were later arrested after the driver’s pager beeped during the arrest, alerting investigators to the location of the other suspects.
A spokesman for the federal Drug Enforcement Administration estimated the street value of the cocaine at $39 million.
The driver, Alfredo Garmino, 41, of Mexicali, was arrested on suspicion of possession and transportation of cocaine for sale. Guillermo Cortez, 21, and Ruben Cervantes, 29, were arrested at a motel in Ontario on suspicion of conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
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