UTAH COUNTY, Utah, Aug. 2, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — An Ogden man and woman are behind bars after a traffic stop in Utah County yielded 9.7 pounds of methamphetamine– and there was a 2-year-old in the car, officials said.
A news release from the Utah County Sheriff’s Office said a deputy stopped a car for traveling nearly 100 mph on northbound Interstate 15 at mile 253, near Benjamin, Wednesday shortly after 7:30 p.m.
“Deputies had a K-9 officer respond to search the outside of the car,” the news release said. “The K-9 gave a positive indication for the odor of narcotics in the car. During a search of the car deputies found two large bags which contained 9.7 pounds of methamphetamine.”
The drugs in this case are estimated to have a street value of $440,000, the news release said. Once divided for sale, the 9.7 pounds of methamphetamine would provide as many as 35,000 individual doses.
The driver and passenger were both arrested and booked into the Utah County Jail. The driver, Melisa Marquez-Barrios, 22, of Ogden, was booked on charges of first-degree felony possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute in a drug free zone, class A misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia in a drug free zone, and speeding, an infraction.
The passenger, Oscar Cortez-Felix, 20, was booked into jail on the same distribution and paraphernalia charges. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has also placed a hold on Cortez-Felix because he is believed to be in the United States illegally. Bail for both Marquez-Barrios and Cortez-Felix has been set at $50,000 cash only.
In this case the drug distribution and paraphernalia charges were enhanced to drug free zone because Marquez-Barrios had her 2-year old daughter in the car with her, the news release said. Deputies contacted officials with the Utah Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) regarding the child. DCFS was able to contact a relative who was allowed to take custody of the child.
REALLY REALLY DUMB, AND NO REGARD FOR THE CHILD. ANIMALS.
Build the wall and deport them all. THIS is the reason why. Enough said.