22 Pounds of Meth Found During Traffic Stop

Two men, Ramiro Sanchez and Michael Manriquez, were arrested by Balch Springs police this past Monday for the felony offense of manufacturing an delivery of methamphetamine. The bond in each case was set at $500,000.

Balch Springs police pulled Sanchez over for speeding after DEA agents informed them they believed Sanchez was running a drug operation. Sanchez was arrested for speeding and driving without his eyeglasses. Police then searched his car and recovered 22 pounds of meth in a duffel bag. Police recovered an additional 22 pounds of meth from a home that Sanchez and Manriquez occupied and that police allege was used for drug operations.

In Texas, it is legal to make an arrest for a traffic violation. It is also legal for the police to then conduct an inventory search pursuant to that arrest. The police must follow their departments procedures in conducting the inventory search, so a criminal defense attorney should always obtain the department’s written procedures for inventory searches.

The state charges in these case carries a life sentence as the maximum penalty; however it is likely that Federal prosecutors will soon bring federal charges against Sanchez and Manriquez. The DEA was conducting an investigation and tipped the Balch Springs police off. The drug amounts in this case are typical for federal drug charges, and under federal law the defendants could be sentenced to life in prison. Under federal law, defendant’s often serve 85% of their sentence before release.