PINEVILLE, La. — Officials in rural Louisiana busted the driver of a tractor-trailer who they say was hauling 35 kilos of cocaine.
According to a Facebook post from the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Rapides Area Drug Enforcement Unit Highway Interdiction Team pulled over 56-year-old Jose Calderon on Tuesday, April 18, near LA 28 and LA 3128 on Paper Mill Cutoff Road for improper lane usage.
As deputies began conducting their investigation, they became suspicious of possible criminal activity, the Facebook post notes.
Deputies then deployed canine officer “Izzy” to conduct a free air sniff of the tractor-trailer, and the animal noted a positive alert to possible narcotics.
The weight of the cocaine packages totaled more than 108 pounds and hold a street value of between $1 million and $3 million, police said.
Calderon was taken to the Rapides Parish Detention Center, where he is being held on a $500,000 bond on charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, obstruction of driver’s view-windshield and improper lane usage.
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