TRAFFIC STOP LEADS TO CONFISCATION OF 50 POUNDS OF METH, 16 KILOS OF COCAINE, ARREST OF FLORIDA MAN WANTED FOR CHILD MOLESTATION
Just before 11:30 a.m., Wednesda, (05/28/2025), a police officer with the Lake County Sheriff’s Department Highway Interdiction Unit conducted a traffic stop on a Chevrolet Tahoe SUV for following too closely and failing to maintain the lane of travel, according to Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr.
The officer performed a data search and learned that the driver was wanted through the Miami-Dade County, Florida Sheriff’s Office for sexual battery of a minor and child molestation.
39-year-old Yohan Ponce Riera, of Ocala, Florida, was placed into custody.
Officers found 16 kilos of cocaine and 50 pounds of meth in a cooler and suitcase located inside the vehicle.
Federal charges are pending through the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
“I commend the outstanding work of our officers for the quick and decisive arrest of a dangerous suspect traveling through our area. These police officers also seized a significant amount of narcotics that will never threaten our communities now.”
The Lake County Sheriff’s Department remains steadfast in their ongoing efforts to find those who traffic illegal drugs and bring them to justice.
