(COLORADO SPRINGS) — The El Paso County Sheriff’s Department (EPSO) has confirmed its participation in an Aug. 18 Beat Auto Theft Through Law Enforcement (BATTLE) operation that resulted in a major narcotics arrest.
Methamphetamine found during the search of Hernandez-Ornelas’ car. Photos courtesy of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office
Just after 5 p.m. on Aug. 18, the EPSO Investigations Division spotted a Chevrolet Sonic along I-25 near downtown Colorado Springs. According to EPSO, what alerted them was a “fictitious temporary license plate,” which had expired in March 2024 and was not registered to the vehicle.
Deputies pulled the car over for a traffic stop and identified the driver as 26-year-old Jorge Fidel Hernandez-Ornelas, who was unable to provide a driver’s license. The report states that deputies noted Ornelas’ statements were inconsistent, prompting a further search with K-9 assistance.
EPSO K-9 Styx performed an open-air search around the car, in which he alerted the deputies to the presence of narcotics from within the vehicle. A subsequent search revealed it had been modified to hide and transport large amounts of illegal drugs. Hernandez-Ornelas admitted to having four pounds of methamphetamine in the car, according to deputies.
He was subsequently arrested and booked into the El Paso County Jail on the charges of Unlawful Distribution, Manufacture, Dispensing, or Sale of a Controlled Substance, Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance, Special Offender: Drug Offenses, and Fictitious Number on Plates. Hernandez-Ornelas is currently held under a $50,000 bond.
“This case underscores the importance of strong partnerships and proactive law enforcement efforts in the Pikes Peak region,” said El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal. “The BATTLE initiative brings together specialized teams to disrupt motor vehicle theft and many related crimes and hold offenders accountable. Thanks to the vigilance of my deputies, our local, state, and federal partners, and the skill of K-9 Styx, we prevented a significant amount of dangerous drugs from reaching the most vulnerable in our community.”
