Troopers make $600,000 cocaine bust in growing battle against drug trafficking

LONDON, OH (WCMH) --  A traffic stop by OSHP troopers in Madison County resulted in the more than half a million dollars' worth of cocaine being seized.

According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, at about 9:37am on May 6, troopers stopped a 2016 Chrysler 200 with New Jersey registration on I-70 in Madison County for a following too closely violation.

Troopers say criminal indicators were observed and a drug-sniffing dog alerted to the vehicle. After a probable cause search was executed on the vehicle, 13 pounds of cocaine were found, according to troopers.

"When you get something like six hundred thousand dollars in cocaine and you have bundles and bundles of bricks inside of a gym bag, that's a significant seizure for the Ohio State Highway Patrol," said Sgt. Vincent Shirey, OSP Spokesman.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol began stepping up its efforts to stop the flow of drugs in and out of Ohio in 2011.

Almost halfway through 2016, troopers have made 5,701 arrests for drug violations. In 2015, they made 12,392 arrests.

"We are seeing that steady rollercoaster of uptick of criminal arrests; felony arrests and drug arrests are up."

Sgt. Shirey said their goal is simple - keep drugs off the streets and out of Ohio communities.

"We don't want sons and daughters, brothers, husbands and wives to getting access to heroin, cocaine, and prescription drugs," said Shirey. "We don't want those getting into those communities because we know that lives are lost. It destroys families."

Now another statistic, 35-year-old Carlos Baltazar of Chicago was arrested and charged with possession and trafficking cocaine out of the 13-pound bust.

If convicted, Baltazar faces up to 20 years in prison and a $40,000 fine.

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