By Nate Gartrell
Bay Area News Group
MARTINEZ, Calif. — Two Concord men have been arrested and charged in federal court with transporting seven pounds of methamphetamine allegedly found during a traffic stop here earlier this month, court records show.
Heriberto Gomez-Gutierrez and Salvador Gomez-Gutierrez were each charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, a federal offense that carries up to 20 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release. Both men were released on $25,000 bonds after a May 26 court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kandis Westmore, court records show.
According to the criminal complaint, the Drug Enforcement Administration had been investigating both men for suspected drug trafficking and secretly installed a tracking device on their Toyota Camry. Authorities say the car would frequently make brief trips to Vallejo and Martinez, which agent believed looked suspicious.
On May 17, two Contra Costa Sheriff’s deputies pulled the vehicle over on Interstate 680 after watching it make an unsafe lane change. The complaint says that during the traffic stop, a police K9 alerted deputies to the possible presence of drugs, and that the men agreed to allow police to search the car.
More than seven pounds of methamphetamine were found hidden in a secret compartment near the gear shift, according to the complaint. Both men were subsequently arrested, and federal prosecutors filed the case five days later, court records show.
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