OHIO — Two men have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Ohio this week after authorities say they were caught smuggling over 3.5 kilograms of cocaine into the state.
According to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court, Homeland Security Investigations was alerted to a suspicious white 2013 Honda Accord with Arizona license plates that was being transported on a commercial hauler bound for Columbus.
On May 31, investigators searched the vehicle but found no contraband. However, they did locate an empty hidden compartment running from the center console to the exhaust pipe. A GPS tracking device was later installed on the vehicle after investigators obtained a warrant on June 2.
Nearly three weeks later, the Honda was spotted traveling on Interstate 70 in Guernsey County, just east of Cambridge, Ohio. The Ohio State Highway Patrol initiated a traffic stop for a tinted window violation.
According to the complaint, the two occupants presented fraudulent Mexican driver’s licenses.
A K-9 unit was deployed and alerted troopers to the presence of narcotics. A subsequent search revealed three bricks of a powdery substance that tested positive for cocaine, with a total weight of approximately 3,633 grams.
Federal prosecutors say the suspects, 42-year-old Cristian Melendez and 39-year-old Ismerio Garcia-Ontivaro, were both in the United States illegally.
Melendez has previous convictions for heroin trafficking and illegal possession of firearms, while Garcia-Ontivaro also has prior drug-related convictions.
Both men are charged with conspiracy to possess and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, as well as illegal reentry into the United States following felony convictions. They are scheduled to appear in court for arraignment on July 23.
