ST. GEORGE — Two suspects, one of them a juvenile, were taken into custody after a Utah Highway Patrol trooper reportedly recovered 10 kilos of suspected cocaine during a search of the vehicle that was stopped for going nearly 100 mph on Interstate 15 on Tuesday.
The trooper was observing traffic on I-15 near the Utah-Arizona border when he saw a silver passenger car heading north at a high rate of speed shortly before 9:30 a.m. Radar confirmed the car was traveling at 97 mph.
The trooper activated the emergency lights and siren, dropped in behind the passenger car and continued north before pulling over near mile marker 4 in St. George, according to charging documents filed in support of the arrest.
Inside the car were two occupants from Southern California, including the driver, later identified as 21-year-old Jesse Rodriguez, of Huntington Beach, and a juvenile passenger. While asking Rodriguez asking why it took so long for him to pull over, the report states, the trooper detected the smell of marijuana.
According to the report, Rodriguez said he did not initially pull over because he had an outstanding warrant out of California. The suspect then was told to exit the car. Neither the driver nor the juvenile passenger, which Rodriguez said was his brother, had a medical marijuana card. Both occupants were advised the car would be searched as soon as backup arrived.
During the search troopers located several bundles wrapped in brown plastic covered with sawdust that appeared to be sprayed on each of the packages, which the trooper noted was packaging consistent with narcotics trafficking. Both suspects were transported to the UHP section office in Hurricane while the State Bureau of Investigations was called in to investigate further.
The trooper also noted the packages had a combined weight of 10 kilograms and contained what appeared to be cocaine, but due to safety concerns, the report states, the packages were sent to the Utah State Crime Lab for analysis.
Rodriguez was transported to Purgatory Correctional Facility and booked into jail on second-degree felony possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, as well as a misdemeanor marijuana charge and infraction for speeding.
The passenger, whom the driver said was 18 years old, was actually 17 and was taken to the Washington County Juvenile Detention Center holding facility. He was to be held until his parents could pick him up. The report also states charges are pending against the youth.
The identity and any further information relating to the underage passenger was not released since he is a juvenile.
Court records indicate Rodriguez initially was held on $10,000 bail but was released the following day with a promise to appear. He is scheduled to make an initial appearance in 5th District Court on June 9 in St. George.
This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
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