Metro Law Agencies Arrest Suspected Cartel Member Accused Of Following Woman Into Harrah

A suspected member of the Sinaloa cartel was busted this week in Harrah with drugs.

Police were alerted Thursday when a woman called 911 to report a stranger was following her for miles.

Harrah and Jones police departments worked together to arrest the accused cartel drug trafficker. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics are also involved in the investigation.

A drive home from work Thursday evening turned into a frightening experience for a Harrah woman.

“It started out on I-40, and she lives here in Harrah, so she was headed home. And she realized she was being followed,” Harrah Police Department Chief Gary Morgan said.

Morgan said the woman made several turns into a neighborhood and then back onto the main road in town. The suspicious car continued to trail her.

“She led him basically right to us and the traffic stop was made right by the police department,” Morgan said.

Officers noted the car's out-of-state tag and the suspect's California license did not add up to the story he gave them. Officers called the Jones Police Department to assist with a drug dog.

“I guess we probably got over 6,000 fentanyl pills that were neatly packaged up,” Morgan said. “We also got over a pound of meth, crystal meth and a loaded firearm.” 

They discovered the cartel connection through the man's tattoos.

“He had tattoos on his arm and once they booked him in,” Morgan said. “On his back he had several tattoos that were consistent with the Sinaloa cartel.”

Given the suspect's connections and criminal history, Morgan said he believed the man had ill intentions.

“I don’t want to raise any alert, panic,” Morgan said. “But I hope this could raise awareness to people to always stay aware and vigilant as to what’s going on around you.”

Morgan said Oklahoma Count Detention Center officers found Fentanyl powder and SIM cards on the suspect when they searched him.