OHP: 30 pounds of meth seized during traffic stop

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - A stop for a traffic violation led to more 30 pounds of methamphetamine being seized from a man driving along the Turner Turnpike on Friday. 

“We're talking millions of people can be affected by that amount,” said Trooper Eric Foster, with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. “It is very, very dangerous.” 

According to Foster, on Friday an OHP trooper pulled over a car being driven by Jesus Hinostroza-Lopez. 

“Changed lanes unsafely,” said Foster. “Basically, meaning that [he] failed to turn his blinker when he changed lanes.” 

Foster told KFOR that Hinostroza-Lopez did not have any form of identification on him. 

“So, the trooper, as is our practice, we have them come back to our patrol car to try to identify them. At that point, you know, they're not under arrest. We're just trying to identify and see who they are,” explained Foster. “As the trooper is waiting for those returns to come back, he gets an indication that something else may be going on.”

That’s when the trooper walked a K-9 around Hinostroza-Lopez’s car. 

“The K-9 gives a positive indication to the odor of narcotics inside the vehicle, which gives us probable cause to look inside the vehicle,” said Foster. 

According to Foster, more than 30 pounds of methamphetamine were found inside. He says investigators are still trying to figure out where the drugs came from and where they were headed. 

Hinostroza-Lopez was arrested for aggravated trafficking of illegal drugs, as well as unsafe lane use. He’s currently booked in the Oklahoma County Detention Center on a $1,000,000 bond. 

Unfortunately, drug trafficking has become far too common throughout the state. 

"We see some of the largest seizures in the U.S. occurring here on our Oklahoma highways,” said Mark Woodward, a spokesman for the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics. 

Woodward said that there are thousands of pounds of methamphetamine coming across the Mexican border into the U.S. in any given hour.

“Much of that does come to Oklahoma, whether it's staying here, or it simply uses a stash location for these drug cartels that then later move it to other parts throughout the Midwest,” said Woodward. “Our close proximity to the border and our highway system makes it prime real estate for the drug cartels." 

He added that arrests like Friday’s are imperative, and possibly lifesaving. 

"Our number one drug killer every year and it has been for almost three decades, is methamphetamine,” said Woodward. “Every shipment that we get off the highway is potentially saving lives of the people out on the streets that are buying portions of these shipments."