BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -  

A Bakersfield police traffic stop led to indictments in 25-pound methamphetamine seizures Thursday.

A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today charging 29-year-old Enrique Rodriguez, of Delano, and Timothy J. Butler, 24, of Long Beach, with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute it.

According to court records, a Bakersfield police officer stopped a vehicle driven by Butler. Twenty-five pounds of methamphetamine were taken from the trunk of the vehicle. Butler’s cell phone had text messages indicating that the drugs were to be delivered to Rodriguez. Rodriguez was arrested and a search warrant was executed at his house in Delano.

At the time of his arrest, Rodriguez had a loaded Beretta handgun. During the search of Rodriguez’s house, agents found an additional pound of crystal methamphetamine from a vehicle in the garage that was registered to Butler, along with $36,000.

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.