Driver arrested after drugs found in hidden compartment during Fresno County stop, CHP says

A Fresno County traffic stop led to the arrest of a driver after narcotics were found hidden inside the vehicle, according to California Highway Patrol.

At about 5:20 p.m. March 4, a CHP officer stopped a 2014 Nissan Sentra traveling on northbound Interstate 5 near Russell Avenue for a tinted window violation, according to Merced-area CHP Officer Eric Zuniga.

During the stop, the officer reportedly noticed multiple factors that led them to believe the driver of the vehicle, identified as Mark Gomez, 31, of San Jose, was engaged in criminal activity.

Authorities said CHP K-9 Beny performed an exterior sniff of the vehicle and alerted the officer to the odor of narcotics. During a search of the vehicle, the officer located what the CHP called a “sophisticated aftermarket compartment” that was built into the vehicle’s floor.

Inside the compartment the officer located about 12 pounds of pure fentanyl and three pounds of heroin, according to a CHP news release.

Gomez was arrested and booked into Fresno County Jail on suspicion of possession of narcotics for sale, possession of a hidden compartment used to transport narcotics and transportation of narcotics across non-contiguous counties, the CHP said.