cannabisnews.com: Trooper Finds Ton Of Pot In Load Of Mangos!





Trooper Finds Ton Of Pot In Load Of Mangos!
Posted by FoM on July 27, 1999 at 04:17:56 PT
Amy Wolfford,Staff Writer
Source: Ledger-Enquirer
Hidden among a tractor-trailer load of mangos, a Georgia state trooper discovered what is believed to be the largest stash of marijuana in the state's history.
The 2,332 pounds of processed pot found Sunday near LaGrange had a street value of almost $3.5 million and is believed to be one of largest finds nationwide, Georgia Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Pam Short said.Gerardo Martinez, 36, of Brownsville, Texas, was northbound on Interstate 85 near Hogansville, Ga., when the officer pulled him over about 8:30 p.m. for allegedly failing to maintain his lane, a spokeswoman for the LaGrange post of the Georgia State Patrol said.The officer, whose name was not released to protect his safety, asked to search the rig, said Dan MacIsaac, resident agent-in-charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's office in southwest Georgia."The trooper explained it's common for trucks from that part of the country to be used to transfer narcotics," MacIsaac said.Once inside the refrigerated trailer, the officer climbed on top of the load and discovered 79 bundles of marijuana sandwiched between crates of the tropical fruit, police said. Martinez was charged with trafficking in marijuana."This marijuana was grown down in Mexico and smuggled across the border," MacIsaac said. "It's a pretty significant seizure of marijuana. I'm sure it has made a big impact to whoever was supposed to get it."The mangos were a legitimate load going from Edinburg, Texas, to New York City, MacIsaac said. The food broker is supposed to pick up the fruit and take it on to its destination. Drug agents aren't sure where the marijuana was headed.Agent Robert Mansaw, spokesman for the DEA's Houston office, said a large percentage of the marijuana used in the U.S. comes from Mexico and through Texas."A lot of times, border patrol or those at checkpoints won't delay these trucks because of the perishable items," Mansaw said.Martinez has two prior federal drug convictions. He is on probation on a Texas charge and had served time in a previous case in Arkansas.The latest case is being heard in state court, but may be transferred to the federal system, MacIsaac said.This is the third major highway drug bust in Troup County this year. In February, a trooper discovered about 80 kilograms of cocaine worth about $2 million inside a truck cab during a routine traffic stop. Another traffic stop in May netted about 1,200 pounds of marijuana.In a similar case a year ago, a Valley, Ala., drug officer found 320 pounds of cocaine inside a tractor-trailer load of carrots. With a street value of about $14.6 million, it was the largest cocaine find in East Alabama history. The driver, 35-year-old Carlos Espinoza from Mercedes, Texas, has since been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison.DEA records show the largest marijuana bust took place in 1988 in Miami, when agents seized 389,113 pounds of the drug.Pubdate: July 27, 1999All content © Copyright 1999 Ledger-Enquirer 
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Comment #2 posted by Drew on July 28, 1999 at 08:03:28 PT:
DAMN!
"DEA records show the largest marijuana bust took place in 1988 in Miami, when agents seized 389,113 pounds of the drug."DAMN!!! Dosn't that drop your jaw! I've always wondered how much weed was in the biggest bust. What valuble info.-Drew
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Comment #1 posted by Drew on July 28, 1999 at 08:03:05 PT:
DAMN!
"DEA records show the largest marijuana bust took place in 1988 in Miami, when agents seized 389,113 pounds of the drug."DAMN!!! Dosn't that drop your jaw! I've always wondered how much weed was in the biggest bust. What valuble info.-Drew
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