Delaware State Police have taken a 55-year-old man from Whitsett, North Carolina into custody on serious drug trafficking charges after a routine traffic stop in Wilmington turned into a major cocaine bust.
James Pyrtle was driving southbound on Interstate 95 near Marsh Road around 11:00 a.m. on March 29, 2026 when a state trooper noticed his Ford Edge had expired registration tags. What started as a simple traffic violation quickly escalated when the officer became suspicious during their conversation with Pyrtle.
The trooper called for backup from a New Castle County Police narcotics detection dog, which immediately signaled the presence of illegal drugs inside the vehicle. When authorities searched the Ford Edge, they discovered a significant drug haul.
Police recovered approximately 2,287 grams of suspected cocaine – that’s more than five pounds of the illegal substance. Officers also found six oxycodone pills, three tramadol pills, and three alprazolam tablets.
Following his arrest, Pyrtle was transported to Troop 1 headquarters and later appeared before Justice of the Peace Court 11 for arraignment. He now faces multiple serious charges including possession of a controlled substance in tier 3 quantity, possession with intent to deliver controlled substances in tier 3 quantity, four additional counts of controlled substance possession, and the original expired tags violation.
Pyrtle is currently being held at the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution after being unable to post his $120,801 cash bond.
