On Friday night, a routine traffic stop in Calera led to the seizure of 21 kilograms of cocaine and the arrest of two Colombian men who are in the United States illegally.
According to authorities, Calera police stopped a vehicle near a gas station off Interstate 65 due to a malfunctioning tag light. Officers discovered a massive quantity of cocaine inside the vehicle and arrested the two occupants.
They were later identified as Jhorman Zapata and Cristian Yesid Lugo Beltran, both Colombian citizens, now being held in Shelby County Jail on bonds set at $10 million each.
Calera Police Department posted the haul discovered in the vehicle:
Zapata is charged with drug trafficking, while Beltran faces charges of drug trafficking and unlawful possession of marijuana. Police said Beltran is also wanted in Atlanta on drug trafficking and failure to appear charges.
Investigators believe the men were transporting the narcotics from California to South Florida.
“If they chose I-65 to avoid heavy drug interdiction areas, it didn’t work out well for them,” Calera Police Chief David Hyche told AL.com.
“Many departments around the U.S. have ceased making traffic stops for minor traffic violations,” Hyche said. “I have repeatedly spoken out against this and other instances where law enforcement leaders apologize for enforcing the law or change policy to appease critics.”
He added that in his five years with Calera police, officers have rescued two children during minor traffic stops and have now prevented a significant quantity of cocaine from reaching the illegal drug market.
“Weak and passive law enforcement encourages criminal activity,” Hyche said.
Multiple agencies are now involved, including the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama.
Grayson Everett is the editor in chief of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @Grayson270.
