Arrested Drug Trafficking Suspects Stopped On I-40 With $1.3 Million In Cocaine

Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office deputies arrested two suspected drug smugglers this week in the metro as they traveled cross-country. The deputies seized more than $1 million of cocaine found in suitcases.

Image Provided By: Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office

Oklahoma County Sheriff Tommie Johnson said on Friday that narcotics deputies have seized eight tons of illegal drugs over the past three years. The highly trained deputies can spot indicators that give away suspected traffickers, as in the recent case.

“These guys are professionals,” said Johnson. “So, they know exactly what they’re looking at.”

Two vehicles traveling closely together, making the same movements along Interstate 40 caught the eyes of Oklahoma County deputies.

“A deputy pulled over a vehicle that had Texas tags and immediately spotted two suitcases in the backseat,” said Johnson.

Diana Delgado, 29, was pulled over for a traffic violation. She told deputies she was traveling to Chicago. Delgado consented to a search of her car.

“Our canine was asked to come to the scene,” said Johnson. “Alerted to a presence of drugs in the vehicle.”

Photos taken of the evidence showed the sealed packages of cocaine deputies allegedly found in the two suitcases in Delgado’s rental car. Johnson said the suspects tried to conceal the drugs from canines by sprinkling Cayenne pepper on the packages.

“In all deputies found a total of 47 and a half pounds of precut cocaine with a street value of about $1.3 million,” said Johnson.

Delgado told deputies David Gutierrez, 25, was traveling with her but driving ahead in an SUV. Deputies stopped Gutierrez on Interstate 40 near Triple X Road. The two suspects were traveling from California.

“We see a good deal and a good amount of traffickers that use our thoroughfares, our interstate systems, our highways to move this illegal product,” said Johnson.

The two suspects were arrested and booked into the Oklahoma County Detention Center on complaints of aggravated drug trafficking.

Johnson said this is an ongoing investigation and could build to a larger case.