A multi-agency narcotics investigation involving the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office has resulted in the seizure of approximately 31 pounds of cocaine, two firearms and the arrest of two men who are now being held under $1 million bonds.
According to a press release issued Tuesday, Oct. 13, by the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office, the investigation concluded on Wednesday, Oct. 7, with the seizure of approximately 14,000 grams of cocaine.
The investigation was conducted by the Guilford County Narcotics Task Force, the Alamance Narcotic Enforcement Team and the Wake County Sheriff’s Office.
During the investigation, deputies with the Wake County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop involving a vehicle occupied by 29-year-old Juan Manuel Velderrama Beltran and 23-year-old Jacob Noe Ramos.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the traffic stop resulted in the seizure of about 3,000 grams of cocaine, roughly 6.6 pounds, along with two firearms.
Following the traffic stop, investigators executed a search warrant at 1019 West Holt Street in Mebane, where they discovered approximately 11,000 additional grams of cocaine, or about 24.3 pounds.
That brought the total seizure to approximately 14 kilograms, or 30.9 pounds, of cocaine.
Beltran was arrested and charged with felony trafficking in cocaine.
Ramos was also arrested and charged with felony trafficking in cocaine, along with misdemeanor carrying a concealed gun.
Both men are being held at the Wake County Detention Center, each under a separate $1 million secured bond, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The Guilford County Narcotics Task Force is a collaborative effort involving the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office, the Greensboro Police Department, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.
The Sheriff’s Office didn’t disclose the estimated street value of the seized cocaine or provide additional information about how long the investigation had been underway. Acomparable seizure in Nash County earlier this year was valued by authorities at approximately $100,000 per kilogram. Using that estimate, the 14 kilograms seized in this investigation would have a potential street value of approximately $1.4 million.
The charges against the two men are allegations, and both are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
