Lee County Deputies Seize 22 Pounds of Cocaine, Arrest Two in Major Drug Bust

LEE COUNTY, NC – A routine traffic stop led Lee County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Agents to a significant drug seizure and two arrests this weekend. On November 3, 2024, deputies conducted a stop on Bailey Thomas Road, where a search revealed approximately 22 pounds (10 kilos) of cocaine concealed in a hidden compartment within the vehicle. Agents also confiscated around $40,000 in cash.

The vehicle’s driver, 28-year-old Yuricela Hernandez, and passenger, 39-year-old Jose Sanchez Cruz, both from Georgia, were taken into custody and face multiple charges, including Trafficking Cocaine by Transport and Possession, Maintaining a Vehicle for Controlled Substance Sales, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Additionally, both were charged with Misdemeanor Child Abuse, as an 11-year-old child was present in the vehicle during the stop.

After the arrest, a Lee County Magistrate set bond for Hernandez and Cruz at $500,000 each. A district court judge raised both bonds to $1,000,000 the following day.

Second Drug Bust in the Past Two Weeks

This is the second major drug bust in Lee County in the past two weeks. On October 23, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputies conducted a routine traffic stop on Colon Road near U.S. Highway 1. During the stop, a K-9 unit alerted deputies to the presence of narcotics, leading them to search the vehicle. Authorities reported that they found a variety of drugs, including fentanyl, oxycodone, marijuana, and methamphetamine paraphernalia, all hidden inside a box on the exterior of the car.

The driver, identified as 37-year-old Phillip Stanley Thomas, was found to be wearing an ankle monitor at the time of his arrest. The device was part of the conditions set for his pretrial release on a separate charge of trafficking methamphetamine in Wake County. Despite already facing serious drug charges, Thomas was apprehended again on multiple counts in Lee County.

Photo images: Lee County Sheriff’s Office