CUSTER COUNTY, OKLAHOMA — An Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper pulled over a red semi-truck in Custer County on March 11, 2026, and discovered the driver had no valid license and was in the country illegally. A K-9 unit then led investigators to a duffel bag in the trailer containing more than 20 pounds of methamphetamine.
The driver, Jose Carlos Morales-Gutierrez, 31, is a Mexican national present in the United States illegally. On March 17, 2026, a federal grand jury charged him with possession of 500 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. If convicted, he faces up to life in federal prison and a fine of up to $10,000,000. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bow Bottomly is prosecuting the case.
The OHP trooper initially stopped the red semi-truck with attached trailer for a traffic violation. Morales-Gutierrez could not produce a valid driver’s license. A K-9 unit then alerted to the presence of narcotics in the trailer. Officers searched the trailer and found a duffel bag loaded with more than 20 pounds of methamphetamine.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative targeting illegal immigration, cartels, and transnational criminal organizations.
The investigation was conducted by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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