Three arrested after officers find $80,000 in cocaine at home

Three people were arrested after a vehicle stop in Madera County led to the discovery of approximately 11 pounds of cocaine, the Merced County Sheriff's Department reported.

California Highway Patrol officer Lloyd Pratt stopped a car in Madera County on Tuesday. During the stop, Pratt's trained dog found a hidden compartment in the vehicle. The compartment was empty, but a further search of the vehicle revealed that a recent delivery of narcotics had been made to an address in the 2000 block of Hatch Road in Modesto.

Pratt then contacted the Merced/Mariposa HIDTA Task Force to assist with the investigation. Agents went to the address, where Xavier Rodriguez, 21, Adan Cisneros, 33, and Dulce Garcia, 24, were arrested on suspicion of possession of cocaine and a loaded semi-automatic handgun. Agents also found $2,500 in cash.

Two children, ages 5 and 6 months old, were also found in the house and turned over to Stanislaus County Child Protective Services. The three adults were booked into Stanislaus County Jail. The street value of the cocaine is approximately $80,000, according to the Merced County Sheriff's Department.

-- Sun-Star staff