Chief Matthew Pinard and the Littleton Police Department report that officers seized approximately 20 kilograms of cocaine and arrested two men as a result of a routine traffic stop on Wednesday afternoon.
ERASMO LIRA-MENDEZ, AGE 38, OF NO KNOWN ADDRESS, was arrested and charged with:
- Trafficking Cocaine (Over 200 Grams)
- Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle
- Marked Lanes Violation
CORNELIO-RENE HERNANDEZ, AGE 51, OF NO KNOWN ADDRESS, was arrested and charged with:
- Trafficking Cocaine (Over 200 Grams)
- Warrant
On Wednesday, March 29, at approximately 3:30 p.m., Littleton Police Patrolman Jared Richard was patrolling on Great Road in the area of Beaverbrook Bridge when he noticed a vehicle in front of him swerve several times across the double yellow line.
Patrolman Richard initiated a motor vehicle stop, and learned that the driver, later identified as LIRA-MENDEZ, was not licensed to operate a motor vehicle. Patrolman Richard also learned that a passenger in the vehicle, identified as HERNANDEZ, was wanted on an arrest warrant from Texas. Both men were subsequently taken into custody at the scene.
While conducting an inventory search of the vehicle, Littleton Police discovered 20 large bags containing approximately 1 kilogram of cocaine each. Police also located $1,143 on LIRA-MENDEZ.
Both men were held without bail overnight and arraigned Thursday in Ayer District Court.
“The attention to detail and dedication to duty that was shown by Patrolman Richard led to the largest drug seizure in the history of the Littleton Police Department, and I commend Patrolman Richard and all of the other officers who assisted on a job well done,” said Chief Pinard. “The seizure of such a large amount of drugs shows the scale of the drug trade and just how much we’re up against as we work to save people’s lives from the scourge of drug abuse.”
These are allegations. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty.