Man busted with 32 pounds of meth during Merced County traffic stop pleads guilty

A 50-year-old man who was found with around 32 pounds of methamphetamine during a 2018 Merced County traffic stop has pleaded guilty to federal drug charges.

Alejandro Lopez, 50, a citizen of Mexico, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Fresno federal court to possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute, said the Office of McGregor W. Scott, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California.

According to Merced area California Highway Patrol Officer Eric Zuniga, Lopez was arrested on Nov. 21, 2018.

Lopez was stopped for a traffic violation in Merced County while driving northbound on Highway 99, according to a news release. Zuniga said Lopez was driving a 2011 Ford Ranger at the time of the stop.

Following the stop, officers found the methamphetamine in the vehicle’s spare tire, authorities said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen A. Escobar prosecuted the case which is a product of an investigation by the California Highway Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations.

Lopez is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 11 by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison, and a mandatory minimum prison term of 10 years, plus a $10 million fine.