Semi's Missing License Tag Leads To Major Marijuana Bust
POSTED: Monday, October 3, 2005
UPDATED: 7:31 am EDT October 3,
2005
Two men who apparently forgot to put a license tag on a big rig they were driving were arrested in Brevard County, Fla., after officers discovered piles of marijuana hidden under boxes of produce in the vehicle, police told Local 6 News.
Department of Transportation officers pulled over a tractor-trailer on Interstate 95 Sunday after an officer noticed the vehicle was missing a license tag. The officer became suspicious and called for help.
A K-9 search found 140 pounds of marijuana under the produce.
Hiding illegal drugs under boxes of produce has become a common method of smuggling in Florida because officers are not expected to search a truckload of fruit, Local 6 News reporter Deborah Garcia said.
"There are not many officers with the determination to set and off load a complete trailer of produce given the liability and cost of the produce involved and just the work itself," Department of Transportation Sgt. Doug Pelton said.
Police said driver Leonardo Hernandez and Oneilo Cala were arrested after the discovery.
Hernandez and Cala denied they were trafficking drugs.
Investigators believe the marijuana was heading somewhere out of state.
Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
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