$720K worth of cocaine found during traffic stop in Merced County, CHP says

Wednesday, March 5, 2025 9:38PM PT
MERCED COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- The California Highway Patrol seized more than 20 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $720,000 during a traffic stop in Merced County.

Following a traffic violation on Interstate 5, a Ford F-150 was further searched after CHP K9 Shei detected an odor of narcotics.

Officers later found the drugs in a secret compartment inside the roof of the truck.

66-year-old James Churn was arrested and later booked into the Merced County Jail.
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