Pounds Of Meth Discovered In SUV After Wreck On Icy Oklahoma Highway

The icy roads in Oklahoma over the weekend helped Oklahoma City Police nab two men trafficking pounds of methamphetamine through the state.

Canadian County Sheriff's deputies were called to the scene of an accident on the eastbound side of Interstate 40, near mile marker 125, at around 5:30 a.m. on Sunday. When deputies arrived they met the men, identified as Jamie Avila and Humberto Beltran-Flores, both Mexican nationals from Phoenix, Ariz.

The men told deputies they had lost control of their 2000 Chevy Tahoe on the icy highway, and crashed into the cable barriers. A wrecker was called to tow the vehicle away, but suspicious of the initial contact with the men, the deputies called in a K9 unit to meet them at the tow yard.

The K9 unit made a hit on the vehicle, indicating that drugs were stowed somewhere inside of the SUV. After a quick search, deputies located a hidden compartment built into the floor of the vehicle, and inside they found 10 pounds of meth, worth an estimated street value of $500,000.

After interviewing the suspects, it was learned that both men had extensive criminal histories, including narcotics sales and weapons. Investigators also learned that Beltran-Flores had previously been criminally deported from the US and banned from re-entry into the country.

"Unlike most interdictions we make, where the drugs are headed to other states, these drugs were headed to Bethany," said Canadian County Sheriff, Randall Edwards.

"Considering the load was 10 pounds, I'm sure a portion of them would have ended up here in Canadian County. I'm extremely proud of my deputies and appreciate their hard work and dedication."

Deputies and Homeland Security Investigators submitted the case to the US Attorney's Office, and federal charges were filed on both men. Both remain in federal custody with no bond.