A traffic stop in Oklahoma City last December led to a major drug bust and a 10-year federal prison sentence for a 35-year-old driver. On November 19, Simon Velazquez Hernandez was sentenced to 120 months for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
The incident began on December 28, 2023, when an Oklahoma City police officer pulled over Hernandez, who claimed he was traveling from California to Arkansas to “deliver Christmas presents.”
Though the exact steps taken by police to uncover the drugs aren’t clear, it’s likely they used probable cause—a situation where officers identify signs of illegal activity to justify a search without a warrant.
Further investigation revealed approximately 40 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in gift-wrapped boxes inside his vehicle. This discovery prompted a wider investigation involving several 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 carries serious penalties. Hernandez’s case fell under federal jurisdiction, which typically results in harsher sentences, particularly for methamphetamine. As a Schedule II controlled substance, large amounts of meth typically lead to long prison terms, heavy fines, and other severe legal consequences.
For non-citizens like Hernandez, federal drug convictions can also result in deportation after serving their sentence.
This case underscores the scale of methamphetamine trafficking across the country, with authorities viewing incidents like this as part of broader distribution networks affecting multiple states.
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