A traffic stop by an alert V.I. Police Department officer and a trained police dog Wednesday led to the arrest of two men and the seizure of drugs and almost half a million dollars in cash, according to Timothy Williams, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration office on St. Croix.

At about 7:30 a.m. Wednesday an officer from the department’s K-9 unit was driving east on Centerline Road near the Sunshine Mall when he saw a silver Dodge pickup truck run the stop sign at the V.I. Waste Management Authority building. He stopped at the Centerline Bakery on Queen Mary Highway. The officer, who was not named in Williams’ news release, advised driver Kim Simon of the traffic violation. He also identified the passenger as Baltazar Felix Jr.

According to the report, the officer noticed that the passenger seemed nervous, so he asked for permission to search the vehicle for drugs and weapons. Simon gave permission, the police said. The officer executed a K-9 search of the exterior of the vehicle, and the dog indicated the odor of illegal, controlled substances in the vehicle. The officer then opened the door and placed the K-9 inside the vehicle. The dog "alerted" to the presence of illegal substances by sitting on a black gym bag with gray trim, which was located behind the passenger seat.

The officer asked who the bag belonged to and the passenger, Felix, advised that the bag was his and it contained a few thousand dollars in cash, according to the report. The officer opened the black gym bag and found that the bag contained bundles of a large amount of undetermined United States currency contained in different colored rubber bands. At that point the officer requested agents from DEA/High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force to assist, the report states.

DEA/HIDTA arrived at the traffic stop and questioned Felix regarding the bulk currency. Allegedly determining that Felix could not provide proper documentation for the large amount of currency and the fact that Felix’s explanation was inconsistent, DEA agents seized the currency pending further investigation.

Simon, the driver, told agents he had picked Felix up at his residence just prior to being stopped by the police. Believing that Felix may have additional currency or other contraband at his residence, agents applied for a federal search warrant for Felix’s Estate Cane residence. With the warrant in hand, the agents and officers searched the residence.

According to Williams, DEA/HIDTA agents seized one kilogram of cocaine, an active marijuana grow operation, a federally prohibited sawed-off shotgun and more cash at the residence. After an official bank count of the currency was conducted, it was determined that $365,575 was seized from the gym bag at the traffic stop, $62,500 was seized from a vehicle owned by Felix at his residence and $18,828 from inside the residence.

Felix’s son, identified as Israel Felix, was arrested at the residence and charged with federal narcotics violations. A federal investigation has been initiated into Baltazar Felix Jr. regarding the seized currency, Williams said.

The name of the VIPD officer whose traffic stop started the investigation was not released, in accord with department policy.