K-9 sniffs out $700,000 worth of meth in downtown Fresno

With the help of a K-9, Fresno police say they made a major drug bust Thursday night in downtown Fresno that could have been worth up to $700,00 when sold.

Sgt. Tim Tietjen said narcotics investigators were alerted by a confidential informant about a large amount of methamphetamine being transported by car.

Around 8 p.m., Francisco Rafael Gonzalez, 24, was pulled over near Ventura and F streets, and a police dog named “Cash” searched his car.

Tietjen said Cash alerted officers to inside the trunk, and when officers pulled back the carpet area, they found five kilos of meth in the frame.

Tietjen said the drugs came from Mexico and are worth between $500,000 and $700,000.

Gonzalez was arrested. Police could not comment on his previous criminal history, Tietjen said.

“Anytime we take a dealer off the street like this, it makes an impact,” he said, “an impact on violent crime, on property crimes.”

This story was originally published March 14, 2019 at 10:26 PM with the headline "K-9 sniffs out $700,000 worth of meth in downtown Fresno."