Westport Police Make Two Drugs Arrests in Two Days

WESTPORT — Westport Police have made two separate drugs-related arrests in the past two days after stopping the vehicles for other reasons.

Police said a Fall River man was pulled over on motor vehicle offenses early this morning before police found him to be driving drunk with multiple bags of marijuana.

This after police said yesterday an officer stopped a New Bedford man for not having an inspection sticker, and found him to have a suspended license as well as Adderall and Suboxone.

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At around 1:21 a.m. Thursday, Officer Jean Lopez stopped a car after a registration query revealed that it had no inspection sticker.

The driver, 31-year-old Nathaniel Duarte-Souto of New Bedford, told the officer his license was suspended.

After he was arrested, Officer Lopez found a digital scale and two prescription bottles with two different women's names.

One bottle contained Suboxone and the other bottle Adderall, according to police.

Duarte-Souto was charged with operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license and two counts of class B drug possession.

Then at around 1:50 Friday morning, police said Officer Michael Chicca saw a black Mercedes SUV swerving over the lines on Route 6.

When Chicca stopped the vehicle near Washington Street, he allegedly smelled alcohol on the driver, 29-year-old Ryan Merkt of Fall River.

After Merkt refused field sobriety testing, he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.

Police said a search of Merkt's vehicle revealed a large amount of cash and multiple bags of marijuana.

In total, 39 bags of marijuana were removed from the vehicle along with over $19,000 in cash, according to police.

Merkt was charged with operating under the influence of alcohol, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, marked lanes violation and possession with intent to distribute a Class D substance.