The Baldwin County Sheriff's Office seized a large amount of drugs during a special operations traffic stop late Tuesday.
Alfonso Castillo-Maldonando, 44, of Mexico, was stopped by deputies on Interstate 65 around 9 p.m.
Deputies discovered 11 kilos of methamphetamine and took the subject into custody.
Castillo-Maldonando was charged with drug trafficking and placed in the Baldwin County Jail. From there, he was put on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hold without bond.
Authorities in Baldwin County have been concerned with immigration policy and how it is facilitating the drug trade. Former Sheriff Huey "Hoss" Mack previously told 1819 News there had been an increase in drug arrests of undocumented and illegal aliens.
Now, with rampant illegal immigration, Mack local agencies are dealing with a federal issue.
"Unfortunately, there's very little that we can do about that at the local level," said Mack. "The federal government is the one that controls those things and enforces those things because they have nationwide jurisdiction and these people could typically flow from another country and then state to state. So, one of the things in our facility, we actually are an ICE temporary detention facility and they're brought to us within 72 hours."
New Sheriff Anthony Lowery told FM Talk 106.5's Sean Sullivan there is an immigration problem in Baldwin County that is affecting public safety. Following a trip to the border, he learned how drugs are brought into the country. He said he was shocked at how much the cartel makes off American lives.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.
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