A pre-dawn traffic stop turned into a huge methamphetamine bust Tuesday.
The driver, identified as Jose Reyes Andrade, 46, was booked on two felony drug counts after a search of the vehicle revealed more than 6.5 pounds of meth with a street value of hundreds of thousands of dollars under the spare tire in the trunk of the VW sedan.
The deputy contacted Andrade when he saw the vehicle parked in front of a closed business on East Long Street at 4:21 a.m. A spokesman stated Andrade was unfamiliar with the city and apparently lost.
He reportedly told the deputy he had been driving all night from Los Angeles.
The arrest report stated the deputy asked if there were any weapons or drugs in the vehicle. Andrade said no but gave permission to search. The deputy spotted a garbage bag sticking through the center hole of the spare tire and, when the tire was removed, saw five wrapped bundles each weighing about 1.2 pounds.
Andrade was taken into custody without incident after a basic test revealed the presence of methamphetamine.
He was arrested on suspicion of level three trafficking and sale/transport of meth. Total bail on the two charges was set at $270,000.