Officers recover $56K in suspected cocaine during traffic stop on I-15 in Washington City

ST. GEORGE — A driver swerving on northbound Interstate 15 caught the attention of an officer in Washington City on Sunday. And the incident led to the recovery of more than 2.5 kilos of suspected cocaine found in the backseat of the car.

An officer reportedly observed a silver passenger swerving out of its lane as it headed north on I-15 shortly before 9 p.m. Sunday and conducted a traffic stop near Exit 13.

According to the probable cause statement filed in support of the arrest, the driver, 31-year-old Andres Nunez, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, told the officer he was trying to place a shirt behind his head to use as a pillow, which caused him to swerve out of his lane. He also told police he was driving a rental car.

While speaking to the driver, the officer noticed a small THC vape cartridge in the center console of the vehicle. The report also states a marijuana dispensary bag was seen on the passenger side floorboard of the car.

While writing out the citation, the officer informed Nunez he had seen the dispensary bag and the vape in the vehicle and also informed the suspect that he would be conducting a search of the car.

At that point, the suspect reportedly admitted the marijuana was his and that he had no medical marijuana card. He told police he had a small amount of marijuana inside of the trunk area of the vehicle. During a search, officers recovered the dispensary bag that contained several marijuana products.

Read the full article at St. George News.

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