What's new
By:
Filters

3 charged in $6M pot bust outside Houston

rtm27

rtm27

VIP Member
by khou.com staff
khou.com
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 3:41 PM
Updated today at 9:48 PM


821.jpg



HOUSTON – Three men were in custody Thursday after investigators seized over 22,000 pounds of marijuana, valued at more than $6 million (4,140,248.85 EUR), in El Campo.

David Joe Corpus, Luis Cavazos and Fernando Zavala were all charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.

Authorities said on Saturday around 2:45 a.m., agents in El Campo pulled over a tractor-trailer with an "Auto Tanques Nieto" logo on it.

Investigators searched the trailer and found over 9,422 pounds of marijuana.

The driver, identified as Corpus, was taken into custody, along with Cavazos, who investigators say was following Corpus.

Both appeared in federal court in Houston on Wednesday.

Authorities said on Sunday, a Texas DPS trooper saw another truck with the Auto Tanques Nieto logo on it traveling on Interstate 59 in El Campo.

When the truck stopped on the shoulder, the trooper approached it and noticed it had been sprayed with mud to appear dirty.

Investigators said the officer then asked the driver, Zavala, if he could search the trailer. Police said Zavala, who appeared nervous, gave the officer consent.

Authorities said they found 521 bundles of marijuana in the trailer.

Zavala was taken into custody, where he was questioned by authorities about the ongoing narcotics investigating regarding the other Auto Tanques Nieto truck.

Authorities said Zavala eventually told officers he had been paid $10,000 to drive a load of marijuana. Zavala said he was supposed to take the load to a truck stop in Houston.
 
Brings back many fond memories of Cheech and Chong,those were the days,and huds you aint wrong
 
Border patrol agents seize more than 16 tons of contraband in past week
By Steven Alford
Posted June 3, 2011 at 1:43 p.m., updated June 3, 2011 at 2:07 p.m.


CORPUS CHRISTI — The past week alone, U.S. Border Patrol agents have seized more than 16 tons of narcotics, worth more than an estimated $26 million on the street.

Two of the largest seizures came Monday at the Falfurrias checkpoint, according to a news release.

In the first, a police dog alerted agents to the presence of contraband inside a tanker trailer.

Agents discovered more than 4,300 pounds of marijuana inside in small, square bundles, worth an estimated $3.5 million.

In the second seizure of the day, a police dog alerted agents to the presence of contraband in another tractor trailer, where agents found more than 6,300 pounds of marijuana hidden among boxes of fruit. The drugs have an estimated street value of more than $5.1 million.

Those seizures pushed the week's totals to more than 32,000 pounds of drugs nabbed in South Texas alone, according to a news release.

759.jpg

This is more than 4,300 pounds of marijuana found in a tanker trailer.


760.jpg

This is the tanker trailer where it was hidden.

761.jpg

A look inside the tanker trailer.

762.jpg

Pic of over 6,300 pounds of marijuana found in a load of fruit.

763.jpg

Pic of how it looked when they discovered it.
 
Either the cops are getting cleverer or the crooks are using while on the job,but they usualy say let them catch a few and they will miss the big one
 
A combination of both. With our proximity to Mexico (from where I live, it takes maybe 3hrs to get to the border crossing), the main highways have border checkpoints. You can take the back roads around the checkpoints ( commonly called "smuggler's routes"), but then you run into the small town police agencies, who don't mind spending 2hrs on a traffic stop hoping they can find something illegal....and then it can become part of their inventory. For some of our small towns, upwards of 80% of their budget comes from confiscated drug assets, and they purchase items that larger departments would be jealous of!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top