A Raeford man faces a felony drug charge after authorities said laboratory testing confirmed methamphetamine was discovered during a traffic stop in Aberdeen.
Aberdeen police said officers stopped a vehicle driven by Luciano Cazares-Baltazar, 35, of Raeford, on Oct. 29, 2025, for a moving violation.
During the stop, officers determined Cazares-Baltazar was allegedly driving with a suspended license, had multiple outstanding citations for driving while license revoked, and was operating a vehicle displaying a fictitious tag, according to the Aberdeen Police Department. He was arrested at the time for misdemeanor driving while license revoked.
Police said Cazares-Baltazar told officers he had a scale inside the vehicle that he used to weigh methamphetamine. Officers then searched the vehicle and located the scale, along with two pipes containing burned residue, several Suboxone strips, and a bag containing suspected narcotics.
The suspected narcotics were submitted to the North Carolina State Crime Lab for testing. On April 17, authorities said the substance was confirmed to be methamphetamine.
Police obtained an additional warrant on April 22, charging Cazares-Baltazar with felony possession of methamphetamine. Authorities said he was already being held at the Moore County jail at the time and was taken before a Moore County magistrate by the Moore County Sheriff’s Office, where he received a 48-hour hold.
All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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Via Aberdeen Police Department.
