(JEFFERSONTOWN, Ky.) — Santa was not the only one trying to deliver Christmas surprises this year.
Police say they confiscated 55 pounds of suspected methamphetamine wrapped in Christmas paper Monday during a narcotics investigation in Jeffersontown, Kentucky, right outside of Louisville.
Jacob Talamantes, 23, of Nebraska, was arrested after a police K9 alerted officers to the presence of illicit drugs in Talamantes’ 2013 Chevrolet Malibu, according to a press release from the Jeffersontown Police Department. Police say they found the festively wrapped methamphetamine packages in the vehicle.
According to police, Talamantes tried to walk away from the officers but was detained. Additionally, he allegedly told officers that he was traveling from Iowa and intended to traffic the drugs.
The Jeffersontown Police Department Chief Richard Sanders decried the crime.
“No amount of festive wrapping can disguise the harm these drugs inflict on families and communities. The coordinated efforts of partner agencies ensured these holiday-wrapped packages never reached the streets,” Sanders said in a Facebook post.
Talamantes is charged with first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, according to police. The charge is a felony, per state law.
Jeffersontown Police credited the Kentucky State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration for their assistance in the investigation.
Attorney information for Talamantes was not immediately available, but he is expected to next appear in court on Friday, Jan. 2, per court documents.
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