Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station officials this week announced a “significant” seizure of suspected methamphetamine they said was taken off the streets during a traffic stop in Agua Dulce.
The suspect, a 37-year-old Los Angeles man named Miguel Flores, was pulled over by deputies conducting “proactive police work,” according to Capt. Brandon Barclay, who said the circumstances surrounding the stop, including the location, were not immediately available.
Results from the traffic stop were posted on the station’s Facebook page Tuesday afternoon. The vehicle deputies linked to Flores had approximately 40 packages wrapped in plastic bags and masking tape, which Barclay said all looked consistent with how kilograms of drugs are commonly packaged.
Flores, whose occupation was listed as “materials handler,” was detained shortly after 3:30 a.m., according to arrest records.
If the weight is accurate for each package, the haul was close to 90 pounds, all suspected to be methamphetamine, according to the station’s social media post.
“I just appreciate the deputies’ hard work and proactive police work to make the streets of Santa Clarita a safer place for all,” Barclay said Friday in a phone interview. “One could only imagine if this level of narcotics hit the street.”
Shirley Miller, a spokeswoman for the station, said the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department’s Narcotics Bureau would be handling the follow-up investigation into Flores.
Narcotics Bureau Capt. Robert Dean said detectives would have no comment on the investigation at this time.
Sheriff’s Department custody records available online indicate Flores was released from the SCV Sheriff’s Station jail less than 10 hours after his arrest under the Penal Code Section 849(B)(1). That section authorizes peace officers to release arrested persons from custody due to insufficient grounds to file a complaint against that person.
An email Friday to the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office requesting information about potential charges was not immediately returned.
