A traffic stop in Oklahoma City last December led to a major drug seizure and a 10-year federal prison sentence for a 35-year-old driver. On November 19, the motorist was sentenced to 120 months for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

The case began on December 28, 2023, when an Oklahoma City police officer pulled Simon Velazquez Hernandez over. He told the officer he was traveling from California to Arkansas to “deliver Christmas presents.”

While we don’t know what specific steps police took to uncover the drugs, we can assume they used probable cause. This is when a police officer identifies one or several “signs of illegal activity” to justify a warrantless vehicle search.

KOKH News in Oklahoma City reported that further investigation of the car’s contents revealed approximately 40 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in gift-wrapped boxes inside his vehicle.

The discovery led to a broader investigation that involved multiple agencies, including the FBI’s Oklahoma City Field Office, the Oklahoma City Police Department, and the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office.

In Oklahoma, drug trafficking laws carry severe penalties. Hernandez’s case fell under federal jurisdiction, which often results in longer sentences, particularly for methamphetamine. Classified as a Schedule II controlled substance, meth possession in such large amounts typically comes with significant prison time, fines, and other legal consequences.

For non-citizens like Hernandez, federal drug convictions can also lead to deportation after serving their sentence.

The traffic stop really highlights the scale of methamphetamine trafficking across the country and the ongoing efforts to address it. With approximately 40 pounds of the substance involved here, authorities see individual scenarios like this as part of larger distribution networks affecting multiple states.