Traffic stop leads to drug arrest in Howard County

On August 4th, 2024, a traffic stop in Nashville led to the arrest of a man on drug charges. According to the affidavit, Patrol Officer Jarrett Rogers stopped a vehicle for lacking a license plate. During the stop, Officer Rogers faced a language barrier with the driver and called for assistance from Officer Hector Cortez, who provided translation services over the phone.

The driver initially identified himself as Miguel Rangel but consented to a vehicle search after Officer Rogers detected the smell of marijuana. Despite Rangel’s claim that no marijuana was in the vehicle, officers discovered a small amount of suspected marijuana in the suspect’s jeans pocket.

Further investigation revealed that the driver’s actual identity was Miguel Angel Armenta. Officers also found a folded dollar bill in Armenta’s wallet containing a crystal-like substance suspected to be methamphetamine. Armenta was arrested and taken to Howard County Jail, where he faces charges of possession of methamphetamine and marijuana.