A law enforcement task force arrested two Waukegan men for allegedly trafficking nearly five pounds of cocaine, worth over $200,000, in Lake County while one of them also possessed a loaded gun.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Garrett Miller said officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle at Rollins Road and Turnbull Drive in Round Lake Beach around 7:30 p.m. on September 14.
The traffic stop was conducted by the Lake County Metropolitan Enforcement Group, which is a multi-jurisdictional law enforcement task force that investigates drug trafficking, gang activity and weapon offenses in Lake County.
The car, a black 2025 Toyota Corolla, was stopped for improper signal when changing lanes.
Miller said Bernardo C. Hurtado, 32, of Waukegan, was driving and Adolfo Macias, 37, of Waukegan, was in the front passenger seat. Both men provided officers with their identification.
Officers learned Hurtado’s license was suspended and so was Macias’ license.
Officers had Hurtado step out of the vehicle and took him into custody for driving while license suspended, Miller said.
Macias was also told to step out of the vehicle and was told the car would likely be towed.
A Round Lake Police Department canine unit was requested to conduct an open-air sniff of the vehicle.
Miller said the canine positively alerted to the presence of drugs in the vehicle, specifically the rear seat, while an officer was writing the citations for the driver.
A search was conducted and a brown paper bag was discovered between the driver’s seat and front passenger seat behind the center console on the floorboard.
Two individual bundles of tinfoil were inside the bag and they had Sharpie markings on them with a substance that the officer, based on his training and experience, suspected to be cocaine, Miller said.
Both bundles field tested positive for the presence of cocaine. Miller said the two bundles together weighed 2,210 grams, or 4.87 pounds.
The drugs have an estimated street value of approximately $218,000 based on recent DEA busts.
A black backpack was also located behind the driver’s seat where officers located a Ruger-5.7 pistol with a loaded magazine inserted. 30 pills of Clonazepam were also found, Miller said.
Hurtado admitted to ownership of the gun and Clonazepam and said he intended to deliver the Clonazepam to his girlfriend in Chicago but neither of them had a prescription for the substance, Miller said.
Hurtado’s FOID card was revoked at the time of the stop for mental health reasons.
Macias was interviewed and told officers that he and Hurtado drove from Waukegan to Chicago to pick up two kilograms of cocaine from another individual at the direction of someone in Kansas, Miller said.
They picked up the cocaine and intended to drive to Round Lake to deliver the drugs to another individual, at which time another person was going to provide them $16,000 for each kilogram, Miller said.
They were then reportedly going to drive back to Chicago to provide the $32,000 to the individual they obtained the cocaine from.
Macias told police that he and Hurtado had done this two to three times in the past where they delivered large amounts of narcotics.
Hurtado was charged with manufacturing or delivery of over 900 grams of cocaine, possession of over 900 grams of cocaine, two counts of possession of a controlled substance, aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, driving on a suspended license and improper turn signal.
Macias was charged with manufacturing or delivery of over 900 grams of cocaine and possession of over 900 grams of cocaine.
“The amount of cocaine in defendant’s possession presents a unique and serious risk to the community. Compounding this risk is the admission of one co-defendant, Macias, that the parties have engaged in similar behavior in the past. A loaded firearm was also recovered from the vehicle,” Miller said.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed petitions to detain both men pending trial, arguing they pose a danger to the community.
Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim granted the petitions during detention hearings, calling the combination of the significant amount of drugs and the gun a “recipe for danger.”
Hurtado and Macias both remain held in the Lake County Jail.
Macias is scheduled to appear in court again on October 15 for a preliminary hearing and Hurtado is scheduled to appear in court again on October 7 for a preliminary hearing.