Coalinga police discover $75,000 worth of meth inside truck

COALINGA, Calif. (KFSN) -- Coalinga police think they've stopped one source of Mexican methamphetamine into the Central Valley.

The suspect was arrested over the weekend, pulled over by Coalinga police and the highway patrol in Interstate-5. Under the hood of his truck was a stash of meth, and it's just one of many shipments police suspect he's brought into the area.

The five-pound brick of methamphetamine along with $15,000 in cash was concealed under the hood behind the radiator of his black Ford pickup.

Coalinga Police Chief Michael Salvador says his officers had been looking for the source of methamphetamine coming into their city and got a tip following an earlier bust in Coalinga in which drugs, cash, and a gun was seized.

"All we got the tip on was he was coming our way and our intelligence had shown he had been back and forth across the border," he said.

The meth is worth between $75,000 and $100,000. It's a big bust for a town this size and considering it appears the suspect made regular trips from the border to the Central Valley.

"This is a mid level drug trafficker that has international ties," Salvador explained.

The suspect is identified as Guadalupe Perez Rocha. He's 51 and from Calexico. He's currently in the Fresno County jail on a charge of transporting methamphetamine.

It's not clear if he brought the drugs in from Mexico or if he picked it up on the border, but Coalinga Police believe he's been the source of the drug coming into the city for at least several months.

The case is now in the hands of the Fresno County District Attorney, and Rocha is expected to face additional charges.