Deputies in Willacy County stopped a car one Tuesday night in Raymondville. It was a simple traffic stop. It turned into a drug arrest.
The driver, Eric Hilario Figueroa, 46, is now in jail. His bond is $70,000. He faces drug charges.
Deputies searched the car during the stop. They found drugs hidden inside. They took about 25 grams of crack. They also took about 41.2 grams of meth. Drug paraphernalia was seized too.
Those amounts are far above what one person uses. That much crack and meth points to dealing, not personal use.
Both drugs are Penalty Group 1 under Texas law. That is the most serious drug group in the state. A charge at that level can mean 2 to 20 years in prison.
A judge set his bond at $70,000. He is still in jail.
Willacy County sits on the Texas-Mexico border. It is south of Harlingen and east of McAllen. Drug traffickers have used this area as a path north for many years. Local deputies and federal agents have run drug busts here before.
Traffic stops like this one often crack open bigger cases. A broken light or a bad lane change can lead deputies to far more. This time, it led to two drugs and a felony arrest.
The Willacy County Sheriff's Office made the arrest. No other suspects have been named. Deputies are still working the case.
Figueroa faces charges for possession with intent to deliver and drug paraphernalia. No trial date has been set. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
