At approximately 10:55 a.m.. on Wednesday, March 3, a Navajo County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Interdiction sergeant conducted a traffic stop westbound on Interstate 40 near Milepost 297 just east of Sun Valley. During the contact, the sergeant observed criminal indicators consistent with drug smuggling. K-9 Zolton assisted by conducting a free air sniff of the vehicle, alerted to the vehicle and a probable cause search of the vehicle revealed 57.1 pounds of methamphetamine. Efren E. Bencoma, 33, of Santa Fe, N.M., was arrested for transportation of dangerous drugs, possession of dangerous drugs for sale, possession of dangerous drugs and possession of a narcotic drug. Later that day at approximately 1:53 p.m., the same sergeant with the Criminal Interdiction Unit, conducted a traffic stop westbound near North Park Drive and Interstate 40. He again noted criminal indicators consistent with drug smuggling and consent was given for a vehicle search. K-9 Zolton was again alerted to the vehicle, which resulted in approximately 45.3 pounds of methamphetamine located in a sophistically concealed table in the bed of the truck. Jorge Luis Lopez, 24, of San Diego, Calif., was arrested for transportation of dangerous drugs, possession of dangerous drugs for sale and possession of dangerous drugs. The total estimated combined street value for the methamphetamine is over $2.7 million dollars. Both men were booked into the Navajo County Jail.
