Felony Traffic Stop Results in Over $40,000 Seized

March 24, 2010 - San Francisco -- The U.S. Marshals Northern California Task Force received information March 18 that a black Chevy Tahoe owned and registered to Jose Valencia-Hernandez, a fugitive wanted out of Vancouver, Wash., for distribution of methamphetamine, possession of firearms, and arson was traveling on the 101 Freeway near Fremont, Calif.

Authorities stopped the vehicle, occupied by two men, without incident. The driver of the vehicle was in possession of a suspended or revoked California driver’s license, and the passenger did not have identification. According to California vehicle code section 14601.4 the vehicle was to be impounded. More than $40,000 in cash was discovered inside the vehicle by the K-9 unit. The driver and the passenger of the vehicle were arrested on multiple state and immigration naturalization service charges. The suspected fugitive Valencia-Hernandez was not in the vehicle. He is still a wanted fugitive and considered armed and dangerous.

The U. S. Marshals Service Northern California Fugitive Task Force is a cooperation of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies that conduct fugitive investigations and operations to locate and arrest fugitives. Local agencies that participated are California Highway Patrol and Morgan Hill Police Department.

The U.S Marshals Service is committed to the pursuit of justice put forth in the U.S. Constitution. With a legacy dating back to 1789, our mission remains steadfast.