CHP Seizes $400K of Cocaine in Fresno County I-5 Traffic Stop

By Anthony W. Haddad

Published 11 months ago on

May 22, 2024

A traffic stop on I-5 in Fresno County led to the CHP seizing $399,000 worth of cocaine and arresting a suspect. (Instagram/CHP Central Division)

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

A traffic stop by a California Highway Patrol K-9 sergeant on Interstate 5 in Fresno County led to the seizure of approximately 11 pounds of cocaine valued at nearly $400,000.

The incident resulted in the arrest of 38-year-old Juan Manuel Castillo Barajas of Ceres, the CHP reported on its Instagram account.

At 7 p.m. on Friday, May 17, authorities said the K-9 sergeant pulled over a 2015 Toyota Tacoma for a traffic violation on northbound I-5 at Nees Avenue.

During the stop, the sergeant suspected the driver was involved in criminal activity, prompting a vehicle search. The search uncovered a gym bag containing the cocaine. Barajas was subsequently arrested.

The case was handed over to the Fresno High Impact Investigation Team, a collaborative effort involving the FBI, the California Department of Justice, the CHP, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office, and the Fresno, Madera, and Kings counties sheriff’s offices, along with the Fresno Police Department.

Barajas faces charges of possession of cocaine for sale and transportation of cocaine across noncontiguous counties.

Barajas was booked into Fresno County Jail.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

California Senator Will Make Historic Appearance at Fresno City College Commencement

DON'T MISS

Gaza Ceasefire Talks in Cairo Near ‘Significant Breakthrough,’ Two Security Sources Say

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Farmer Sentenced to Prison in $650,000 Crop Insurance Fraud Case

DON'T MISS

Where Were the Most Car Crashes in Clovis? Police Release List

DON'T MISS

Protesters to Rally in Brooklyn After Pro-Israel Crowd Assaults Woman

DON'T MISS

Selma Teen’s Death May Be Tied to Fentanyl, Police Say

DON'T MISS

Blast Kills at Least 26 People in Nigeria’s Northeast, Residents Say

DON'T MISS

5-Year-Old Girl and Parents Among Those Dead in Vehicle Ramming in Vancouver

DON'T MISS

Feds Again Bump Up Water Allocation for Many Fresno County Farmers

DON'T MISS

Levi Strauss Shareholders Vote Against Proposal to End Diversity Programs

UP NEXT

Where Were the Most Car Crashes in Clovis? Police Release List

UP NEXT

Selma Teen’s Death May Be Tied to Fentanyl, Police Say

UP NEXT

Visalia Police Captain Charged With Embezzlement, Theft

UP NEXT

Madera Man Arrested After Armed Robbery, K-9 Assists in Capture

UP NEXT

Kim Kardashian Jewel Heist Trial Starts in Paris

UP NEXT

Fresno Man Ejected, Killed in High-Speed Wreck Following Pursuit

UP NEXT

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Naomi Kaylynn Acker

UP NEXT

Fresno Elderly Woman Evicted, Forced to Leave Dogs Behind. One Still Needs a Home.

UP NEXT

Ex-US Rep. George Santos Sentenced to Over 7 Years in Prison for Fraud and Identity Theft

UP NEXT

Selma Mayor Charged With Electioneering Violation on Election Day

Anthony W. Haddad,

Multimedia Journalist

Anthony W. Haddad, who graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with his undergraduate degree and attended Fresno State for a MBA, is the Swiss Army knife of GV Wire. He writes stories, manages social media, and represents the organization on the ground.