A man was caught smuggling 55 pounds of methamphetamine disguised as Christmas presents, Kentucky police announced.
HOLIDAY COVER BLOWN: Police stopped the Grinch this holiday season, seizing more than 55 pounds of meth disguised as Christmas presents in Kentucky.
— Fox News (@FoxNews) December 27, 2025
On Monday, while officers were carrying out a narcotics investigation, a police K9 alerted them to drugs being inside a vehicle.… pic.twitter.com/TnJJdAlGsf
Jacob Talamantes, a 23-year-old from Nebraska, was arrested in a narcotics investigation on Dec. 22. He was discovered to have possession of the drugs after K9 alerted on his 2013 Chevy Malibu. Talamantes attempted to obscure the methamphetamine by wrapping the packages in Christmas paper.
"No amount of festive wrapping can disguise the harm these drugs inflict on families and communities,” said Jefferson Police Chief Richard Sanders. “The coordinated efforts of partner agencies ensured these holiday-wrapped packages never reached the streets."
The arrest was made just outside of Louisville, Kentucky in a joint investigation with the DEA, Kentucky State Police, and Jeffersontown Police. Detectives encountered Talamantes after he approached their location in a vehicle. He attempted to leave, but was apprehended by officers.
Talamantes told law enforcement that he was traveling with the methamphetamine from Iowa with the intent to traffic the narcotics. The total value of the Talamantes haul could be worth as much as $770,000, according to the Department of Justice.
Talamantes has received a felony charge for first-degree trafficking a controlled substance, with further charges pending.