Agents bust 2 for meth

DELTA — Two men were taken into custody Friday, after drug task force agents say they found several grams of methamphetamine concealed in their vehicle.

The Seventh Judicial District Meth/Drug Task Force arrested Marcos Martinez, 51, and José Carpio, 44, after stopping their vehicle on Meeker Street in Delta.

Agents began following the vehicle, a Chrysler sedan, for reasons not stated in the men’s arrest affidavits. Because the investigation is ongoing, Agent Jim Fuller could not say whether the task force was already interested in Martinez and Carpio.

The responding agents said in the affidavits that they saw the men’s car cross the road’s center line and that it later nearly struck another car after failing to yield the right of way.

The car was then stopped based on the traffic infractions.

Fuller said the suspects tried to conceal the alleged drugs between the center console and seat, but gave permission to search the car.

According to the affidavits, agents recovered a bag of crystal shards that later tested positive for meth and weighed in at slightly more than 7 ounces.

Two other bags found tucked into the left side of the emergency brake gasket contained residue and another bag contained possible marijuana seeds.

Martinez reportedly told agents he’d purchased the meth earlier Friday from a Utah man.

Both he and Carpio were arrested on suspicion of possessing a controlled substance. They were each held on $60,000 bonds.

The meth seized was valued at between $100 and $150 per gram, Fuller said, though the drug can sometimes fetch a much higher price because of limited U.S. supplies.

“We’re seeing a substantial increase in the price of meth,” he said.

As the Daily Press reported in 2005, laws that limited the availability of meth’s active ingredients have led to less production of the drug in the United States. Major production has shifted to Mexico; Fuller said cartels are now factoring in the costs of transportation and risks associated with it.