Pot Seized During Interstate Traffic Stops

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345 pounds confiscated, five arrested
Posted: 10:15 AM Jul 7, 2008
Last Updated: 2:51 PM Jul 7, 2008
Email Address: sixonline@wowt.com

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The Nebraska State Patrol seized approximately 345 pounds of marijuana and made five arrests in three traffic stops over the holiday weekend.

A trooper stopped a 1998 Honda Accord with Illinois plates for following too closely on eastbound I-80 in Sarpy County last Thursday around 11 a.m.

The trooper’s K-9 indicated an odor of drugs coming from the vehicle. A search of the car led to the seizure of 220 pounds of marijuana.

The driver of the vehicle, 31-year-old Lazaro Cuen Alverez of San Jose, California, and a passenger, 30-year-old Gustavo Colunga Luna of Keizer, Oregon, both face charges of possession of marijuana with intent to deliver.

A trooper stopped a 2001 GMC with Arizona plates for speeding on eastbound I-80 just east of Grand Island Friday around 3:50 p.m. A search of the vehicle led to the seizure of 89.7 pounds of marijuana.

The driver, 69-year-old Aurelio Vergara of Glendale, Arizona and a passenger, 59-year-old Maria Vergara also of Glendale, Arizona, each face charges of possession of marijuana with intent to deliver.

The third stop, also for speeding, occurred near Kearney on Saturday shortly after 1 p.m. and yielded 35 pounds of pot. A trooper stopped a 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix heading eastbound on I-80.

A state patrol canine indicated the odor of drugs coming from the vehicle. The driver, 26-year-old John Eisel IV of Rockville, Maryland, faces charges of possession of marijuana with intent to deliver.

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Posted by: Anonymous on Jul 11, 2008 at 07:07 AM
John, your arguements might carry more weight and you'd look alot more grown up if you tried presenting facts and lost the name calling and insults. So far your making those on the opposing side of the arguement look real smart by contrast.

Posted by: John on Jul 10, 2008 at 11:34 AM
To "All Drugs Created Unequal"...YES, every drug effects people on different ways. Your reaction time is slower, because you're high, you get distracted easier because you're high, etc etc etc. YOU get a clue, YA STONER ! ! !

Posted by: All Drugs Created Unequal on Jul 10, 2008 at 08:47 AM
So pot effects you behind the wheel huh? That's scary since there are so many pot-related car accidents and absolutely no alcohol-related ones. Oh wait, alcohol is a DRUG TOO!!! Quit being a hypocrite John.

Posted by: Better Than You on Jul 9, 2008 at 05:36 PM
Nice, hundreds of pounds confiscated but yet there is no shortage of marijuana in this area or any other. Please vote to stop this stupid marijuana prohibition, it does nothing to make this country a better place, convicts honest hard working people of crimes and wastes police time and tax payer money!

Posted by: Anonymous on Jul 9, 2008 at 05:02 PM
Marijuana has been around for thousands of years. It's not likely to go away soon. Whether one thinks it should be legalized or not is still debated inspite of the fact that claims of harmful effects have never been proven. Here's something we all know, or should. The war on drugs keeps drug cartels in business the same way prohibition kept bootleggers in business. The drug cartels have lobbyist in Washington making sure drugs stay illegal and the drug cartels stay powerful. More people per captia drank more alcohol during prohibition than before or after. Likewise it only stands to reason that if marijuana were legalized we would see a decrease in its popularity as well. Furthermore the current marijuana laws insure that minors have equal access to marijuana as adults. No matter which side of the issue you stand on the war on drugs (and the war on marijuana in particular) make no sense and serve noone.

Posted by: John on Jul 9, 2008 at 11:36 AM
To the MORONS that think that pot should be legalized...it will NEVER happen ! ! ! It's a drug & effects you under the influence when behind the wheel ! ! ! DUH ! ! !

Posted by: To SS on Jul 8, 2008 at 04:16 PM
So far this comment board has had a lot of good points and a relatively small number of angry, close-minded yuppies, until you came along. Most of the people here are talking about legalizing marijuana and why there are much, much worse things than it out there. It's true, drugs are illegal and the police were just doing their job. People that deal with marijuana accept certain liabilities. omhanatve broght up a great point about learning from prohibition(type movements) and past mistakes. Oh well, just keep smoking legal cigarettes and watch people develop cancer, etc...

Posted by: SS on Jul 8, 2008 at 12:36 PM
Those of you who say make it legal ARE STUPID.. Part of the law enforcements job is to catch ANYONE breaking the LAW that includes potheads. Some people on this message board have issues... Read it says they were stopped for breaking the law..... and it so happens that they are transporting POT.... that is breaking the law...Most potheads break the law in many ways including but not limited to selling/transporting of drugs... Get a clue people. Good Job State Patrol

Posted by: omhanatve on Jul 8, 2008 at 10:38 AM
I personally don't use pot, but it seems to me that if it were legalized and similar restrictions and penalties were imposed such as with alcohol (driving under the influence, etc) then we would have a lot less people in the legal system. I know they say marijuana is a gateway drug to worse drugs, but I know many people that were "pot heads" in the 70's who went on to have normal, successful lives (without using harder drugs, by the way) I would much rather see tax dollars going toward catching those who manufacture and deal Methamphetamine. This is the real epidemic. This pat on the back for catching 300 lbs of marijuana is just a distraction from the real problem here in the Midwest-one they have no control over and appears to have no end in sight. If they can legalize cigarettes that cause cancer, and alcohol that can lead to cirrhosis, why is marijuana so particularly evil?

Posted by: llr on Jul 8, 2008 at 10:30 AM
Why bother legalizing it, even for the tax revenue? You wouldn't be able to smoke it anywhere in PUBLIC....

Posted by: Andy on Jul 8, 2008 at 08:46 AM
It's called being tipped off. I've seen stories before where Troopers just happen to "come across" large seizures of pot. I don't buy that. Some informant told the Troopers that a large amount of weed would be coming through their state over the weekend, and the Troopers were just waiting. My guess is they pulled over a lot more vehicles on suspicion of transporting, but nothing else. I mean seriously, they pulled someone over for following too closely? You can pull over a third of interstate traffic for that violation. You would figure with I-80 being a major interstate through the country that pot seizures would be more common. Also, the story didn't say anything about a supply of guns and cash. Strange that hundreds of pounds of weed would be transported and the guys had nothing else with them. Probably just a handful of middle men, and it won't help anything in the long run. Those in charge already have a handful of new middle men who are driving across the state today.

Posted by: To stop crime on Jul 8, 2008 at 08:38 AM
I would LOVE to see your face when drugs (somehow, and will never happen) are completely banned and removed. I know robberies/shootings will still happen. Why can't people start looking towards the future instead of the past.

Posted by: Anonymous on Jul 8, 2008 at 06:19 AM
Way to keep drug gangs in business. Way to incarcerate more people per captita than any country in the world. Let's not learn anything from prohibition. Let's just keep making the same mistakes over and over. The war against drugs has already taken us so far. Down a dead end road.

Posted by: Baker on Jul 8, 2008 at 04:11 AM
Marijuana will never be legal because it is too easy to grow -- and then it would be used as a form of currency thus undermining the gov't.

Posted by: Anonymous on Jul 7, 2008 at 11:50 PM
Did these people not have a license? Everybody knows not to speed and everybody knows not to follow to closely especially when you have drugs what idiots!!!

Posted by: get real on Jul 7, 2008 at 10:44 PM
After reading the comments on here, it's no wonder they call it DOPE!

Posted by: stop crime on Jul 7, 2008 at 07:21 PM
Robberies and shootings are caused because of drugs. Stop the drugs and you'll stop crime.

Posted by: shug on Jul 7, 2008 at 05:53 PM
they caught 3 that were transporting pot, but how were just traveling thru the state got pulled over and searched because they LOOKED LIKE they could've been transporters.

Posted by: HD on Jul 7, 2008 at 05:03 PM
"not a smoker" Get a grip law enforment is concerned with all crime. These troopers are not wasting tax dollars. They are on patrol on I-80 making traffic stops for traffic violations. It just so happens that dope trafficers are not the sharpest knives in the drawer and get caught because they along with running drugs they also cant drive within the law. GO TROOPERS and ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT

Posted by: not a smoker!! on Jul 7, 2008 at 04:06 PM
oh my gosh, why not just legalize pot! its only POT! these kids could be using worse drugs. And im not even a pot smoker and its ridiculous on how much patrol care about bringiong pot into nebraska, how about care more about the guy who made the crack or crank and sold it to the mom who sells herself to get it? the ones who beat their kids all cracked up?

Posted by: Bill on Jul 7, 2008 at 03:29 PM
I wonder how many "REAL" criminals are dope heads. Certainly the ones who shoot people.

Posted by: logic on Jul 7, 2008 at 03:00 PM
I like how they just stumble upon 345 pds of Mary Jane.

Posted by: What a Waste on Jul 7, 2008 at 02:00 PM
The only reason marijuana is illegal is because it's too easy to grow and use yourself, therefore, hard to tax. So STUPID!

Posted by: Anonymous on Jul 7, 2008 at 01:49 PM
how pathetic of a comment? They are out there trying to catch these guys and your sitting there from your minimum wage job criticizing? huh

Posted by: Anonymous on Jul 7, 2008 at 01:41 PM
For every 1 they catch 20 get through. What a waste of resources and tax money.

Posted by: Anonymous on Jul 7, 2008 at 01:33 PM
Go Troopers!!!Thanks for all you do!

Posted by: ...really?! on Jul 7, 2008 at 01:30 PM
Don't worry about shootings, robberies, and worse, lets worry about some stupid grass. Get real people, so much worse out there needs our attention.

Posted by: JM on Jul 7, 2008 at 01:24 PM
Legalize it! Tax it! Just put the same resrtictions as they do on alcohol (can't drive under the influence). DONE! I agree with JOEY!

Posted by: S on Jul 7, 2008 at 12:29 PM
If someone is going to be stupid enough to transport illegal substances they cannot be smart enough to follow traffic laws I suppose. Serves 'em right!

Posted by: Steve on Jul 7, 2008 at 11:24 AM
These pothead stoners will NEVER LEARN ! ! ! If you plan to smuggle dope across the state of Nebraska, DO NOT drive on I-80...it's that simple ! ! ! You'll get busted by the State Patrol EVERY SINGLE TIME ! ! ! Idiots got what they had coming to them & hope they get the book thrown at them ! ! ! Say hi to Bubba for me.

Posted by: dave on Jul 7, 2008 at 11:21 AM
for every three they catch ten get through...another war lost.

Posted by: Joey on Jul 7, 2008 at 10:53 AM
Leagalize it! Then the cops can focus on real crimes & criminals.