Fallbrook CA— On Friday, May 4, 2018, San Diego County Sheriff’s Deputy Fealy contacted 64-year-old Roberto Corona, of Chula Vista, in the parking lot of a local park and ride which is adjacent to Interstate 15 in Fallbrook. The location is known to law enforcement to be a commonly used narcotics trafficking corridor, which is frequently used to smuggle drugs North from Mexico.
During a consensual conversation with Corona, the deputy became suspicious of his story and the vehicle he was driving. Based on his training and experience, Deputy Fealy suspected Corona could be transporting narcotics in his vehicle.
A Sheriff’s K9 was called to the scene to conduct a “drug sniff” on the vehicle to detect the presence of illegal narcotics. The K9 alerted to possible narcotics in several areas of the vehicle. In addition, there were indications the vehicle was tampered with and there were possible secret compartments within the vehicle.
A search of the vehicle revealed multiple plastic packages of suspected illegal narcotics which were hidden in several areas of the vehicle. These areas included: the front bumper, rear bumper, and the gas tank of the vehicle. A total of 57 packages of suspected methamphetamine were located and the total weight of the seized narcotics is estimated at over 67 pounds.
Roberto Corona was booked into the Vista Detention Facility for possession of narcotics for sales and transportation of narcotics for sales.