A traffic stop in the northern end of Sampson County over the weekend has landed two local men in jail on trafficking charges related to the confiscation of some two kilos of cocaine and a large amount of cash.
Antonio Velazquez Jarmillo, 681 Ernest Williams Road, and David Valencia Garcia, 100 Unity Drive, Newton Grove, were taken into custody Friday, Dec. 5, after being pulled over for what sheriff’s officers said was a motor vehicle violation.
When contacted, Sheriff’s Capt. Marcus Smith said deputies with the Criminal Interdiction Team initiated the stop on U.S. 421 near Wrye Branch Road and, during the course of the stop, observed “indications of possible criminal activity.”
Smith said officers called in a K9, Pitts, to assist, and the canine officer “alerted to the presence of narcotics” in the vehicle, giving officers probable cause to conduct a search.
That search led to the discovery of two kilograms of a substance believed to be cocaine, an undisclosed amount of cash and and two firearms. The substances were sent to the State Bureau of Investigation lab for confirmation, but Smith said they felt certain it was cocaine.
Jarmillo, who was driving the vehicle at the time of the stop, was charged with trafficking cocaine by transport, trafficking cocaine by possession, maintaining a vehicle dwelling for the sale of a controlled substance and carrying a concealed weapon, all felonies.
Garcia, a passenger in the vehicle, was charged with trafficking cocaine by transport, trafficking cocaine by possession, maintaining a vehicle dwelling for the sale of a controlled substance and carrying a concealed weapon.
Neither suspect was given a bond and remained jailed Tuesday.
Sampson County Sheriff Jimmy Thornton praised his officers for their “hard work” to keep drugs off Sampson County roads and out of the hands of residents.
“Our deputies remain committed to keeping dangerous drugs and illegal firearms off our streets,” the sheriff said. “This seizure is a direct result of their vigilance and dedication to protecting the citizens of Sampson County. I’m proud of the work our team does every day to keep our communities safe.”