Merced CHP seizes six kilos of cocaine during traffic stop

A routine traffic stop ended Tuesday in Merced with a Los Angeles man behind bars after officers found about 6 kilograms of cocaine in a hidden compartment in his vehicle, the California Highway Patrol reported.

Franco Alberto Cazarez, 48, was booked into the Merced County Jail on suspicion of transporting a controlled substance for sale, possession of a controlled substance and other drug-related allegations. He was still in custody Tuesday night on more than $1 million bail, according to booking records.

The CHP stopped Cazarez around 9:20 a.m. on Highway 99 near Campus Parkway. A CHP canine was used to find narcotics, Officer Moises Onsurez said.

The reason for the initial traffic stop was not disclosed Tuesday.

Officers searched the vehicle and found two hidden compartments. Inside one of the hiding places, officers found 6 kilograms of suspected cocaine with an estimated street value of about $300,000, Onsurez said.

This story was originally published January 27, 2015 at 6:10 PM with the headline "Merced CHP seizes six kilos of cocaine during traffic stop."