Driver arrested after CHP says a K-9 sniffed out suspected drugs during Merced County stop

A San Bernardino County man was arrested during a traffic stop in Merced County after suspected fentanyl and methamphetamine were located by a California Highway Patrol officer and K-9.

About 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, a CHP officer stopped a 2014 Honda Accord for a traffic violation along northbound Interstate 5 just north of Highway 152, according to CHP Officer Eric Zuniga. During the stop, the officer reportedly noticed multiple factors and tradecraft that led him to believe the driver, 63-year-old Rafael Partida Sanchez, of Phelan, was possibly engaged in criminal activity.

According to a CHP news release, the officer received verbal and written consent to search the vehicle and CHP K-9 “Bruce” was asked to sniff the Honda. After the dog alerted to the odor of narcotics, a search revealed about eight pounds of suspected fentanyl pills hidden in aftermarket compartments in the vehicle’s rocker panels, according to the release.

Officers also located about four pounds of suspected fentanyl powder and about 20 pounds of suspected methamphetamine concealed inside the vehicle’s rear doors, the CHP stated.

Sanchez was arrested on suspicion of possession of narcotics for sale, concealing narcotics in a false compartment and transporting narcotics across non-contiguous counties, the CHP said.

Accordion to Zuniga, as of December 2021, the wholesale value of fentanyl was about $21,000 to $25,000 per kilo, which is about 2.2 pounds, and one pound of methamphetamine had a value of about $800 to $1,700 depending on the quality.