On Sunday, June 29, 2025, at approximately 4:01 p.m., a Coalinga CHP Officer conducted an enforcement stop on a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu for a mechanical violation. The stop occurred on northbound Interstate 5, south of Jeffrey Avenue, within Fresno County.
During the enforcement stop, the officer noted several factors and tradecraft that led him to believe the driver and passenger were engaging in criminal activity. The driver of the Chevrolet provided consent to search the vehicle. While searching the Chevrolet, the officer located approximately one kilogram of suspected Cocaine powder hidden in a backpack located on the rear passenger seat. A loaded, non-serialized handgun “ghost gun” was also located within the backpack. Additionally, the officer located four bundles of counterfeit money, with an estimated cash value of $15,000 – $25,000.
Both the driver and passenger were arrested. The criminal case, the suspected Cocaine, the unserialized handgun and counterfeit money was turned over to the Fresno High Impact Investigations Team (HIIT). Following the arrest, both the driver and passenger were booked into the Fresno County Jail on the following charges:
11351 H&S – Possession of narcotics for sales.
11352(a) H&S – Transportation of narcotics for sales.
11352(b) H&S – Transportation for sales across noncontiguous counties.
11370.1 H&S- Possession of Control Substance while armed
29180 PC- Possession of a Unserialized Firearm Manufacture without Application to CA DOJ
475 PC- Possession of Counterfeit money
The estimated street value of the Cocaine is approximately $80,000.
Coalinga Press 