Porter County- On Monday, November 10th , a routine traffic stop during severe weather conditions led to the seizure of approximately 11 lbs. of suspected cocaine. A trooper was on S.R. 49 when he observed a gray Jeep Grand Cherokee traveling at a high rate of speed despite snow and ice-covered roads. The area where this occurred is also a construction zone. After initially failing to stop, the driver finally pulled over on the ramp to U.S. 30. The driver, Daniel Aguilar Ramirez, 35, of Knox, IN, presented a California driver’s license to troopers.
During the traffic stop, Ramirez gave inconsistent statements as to his route of travel and destination. A K-9, who is trained and certified in the detection of illegal drugs, conducted a free air sniff of the vehicle and gave a positive alert to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed an Amazon box which contained four vacuum-sealed, brick-shaped packages, consistent with packaging used in drug trafficking. A field test produced a positive result for cocaine.
Ramirez was taken into custody and transported to the Porter County Jail where he is being held on an immigration detainer for ICE as it was determined that Ramirez is an illegal alien. He is also charged locally with Dealing Cocaine- Level 2 Felony.
All suspects are presumed to be innocent until/unless proven guilty in court.