HUMBOLDT COUNTY, Calif. — A traffic stop for a vehicle code violation in Humboldt County led to a significant drug bust on Thursday evening.
Deputies from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) stopped a vehicle on U.S. Highway 101 near the Indianola Cutoff. The driver, Aaron Gore Stott, 46, of McKinleyville, was already known to law enforcement for his involvement in multiple narcotics investigations. The passenger, Andreas Sala McDaniel, 65, of Eureka, was also identified during the stop.
While speaking with the occupants, deputies noticed a clear plastic bag containing suspected fentanyl, which prompted an immediate detention. To assist with the search, a K9 handler and his partner, Yahtzee, were called to the scene. K9 Yahtzee alerted deputies to the presence of additional narcotics in the vehicle.
A subsequent search uncovered approximately 76 grams of suspected methamphetamine and fentanyl, along with a digital scale, drug paraphernalia, and a stun gun.
Stott and McDaniel were arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on multiple charges, including the unlawful sale or furnishing of controlled substances, unlawful possession of a stun gun by a felon or addict, and more.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office emphasized their commitment to disrupting the distribution of illicit narcotics, especially fentanyl, which poses a serious threat to public safety.
