Cottonwood, CA — A late-night traffic stop on northbound Interstate 5 turned into a major drug bust Friday morning when Tehama County Sheriff’s deputies seized approximately 50 pounds of methamphetamine and nearly $12,000 in cash. At 12:39 a.m. on May 9, 2026, deputies pulled over a vehicle in the Cottonwood area. During the stop, they contacted the driver, identified as Javier Mendoza-Zamora, 48, of Washington. Sheriff’s K9 Silas was brought in and alerted to the odor of nar