stop on Interstate 5 (I-5) in Fresno County. The discovery of the methamphetamine, with an estimated street value of approximately $381,360.00 resulted in the arrest of 32-year-old Ricardo Jose Melgar, of Gilroy, CA., and 24-year-old Leslie Patino Higareda, of San Jose, CA.On Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, at approximately 5:20 p.m., a Central Valley CHP canine sergeant conducted an enforcement stop on a 2013 Dodge Durango for a traffic violation. The stop occurred on northbound I-5 at Nees Avenue, in Fresno County. During the contact, the sergeant determined the driver was unlicensed and the vehicle was not registered to the driver or his female passenger.
While conducting a vehicle inventory prior to impounding the Dodge, the sergeant located approximately 40 pounds of crystal methamphetamine in the rear cargo area.
The driver, Melgar, and passenger, Higareda were arrested, and the case was turned over to the Fresno High Impact Investigation Team (HIIT), which is a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Initiative (HIDTA) composed of law enforcement personnel from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the California Department of Justice; the California Highway Patrol; the Fresno, Tulare, and Kings Counties Sheriff's Offices; and the Fresno Police Department.
Melgar was subsequently booked into the Fresno County Jail on the charges of possession of methamphetamine for sale, and transportation of methamphetamine across noncontiguous counties.
The mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and Security
Source: CHP-Fresno
