March 7, 2016
By Paul Joseph, Paragon Communications News Director –
Texas troopers have been busy seizing drugs along Interstate 40 with two major marijuana seizures over the last three days.
At approximately 5:48 p.m. on Friday night, a DPS trooper stopped a 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor for a traffic violation on I-40 near Conway, in Carson County, Texas. During the traffic stop, the trooper conducted a search of the vehicle and located several plastic-wrapped packages of marijuana located in hidden compartments underneath the car seats. The marijuana weighed over 106 pounds and worth over $643-thousand dollars.
The driver of the vehicle, identified as 38-year-old Monica Ocana, of Phoenix was arrested, booked into the Carson County jail and charged with felony possession of marijuana.
Then on Sunday night just before 7, a DPS trooper stopped a 2015 Buick Lacrosse on the interstate near Bushland, in Potter County. During that traffic stop, the trooper located several vacuum-sealed packages of marijuana in the trunk. The marijuana weighed almost 39 pounds valued at over $232,000.
The driver, identified as 38-year-old Rhett Rasmussen, of Gulfport, Florida, was arrested, booked into the Potter County jail and charged with felony possession of marijuana.
Friday night’s illegal drugs were allegedly being transported from Phoenix to Atlanta and Sunday night’s was heading from Phoenix to Tampa.
The confiscated marijuana was valued at over $875-thousand dollars.
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