Huge pot bust south of Temecula is one for the record books
"It's so much, we're still weighing and counting it,'' said sheriff's Sgt. Dennis Gutierrez.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Boxes of marijuana are stored after more than 25,000 pounds of the the drug was found in a tractor-trailer Wednesday. (photo by Riverside County Sheriff's Department)
More than 25,000 pounds of marijuana was seized today by Riverside County sheriff’s deputies – the largest confiscation of the drug in Riverside County history by the agency — who located the monster load in a big rig during a routine traffic stop just south of Temecula.
“It’s so much, we’re still weighing and counting it,” said sheriff’s Sgt. Dennis Gutierrez. “A conservative wholesale price for this amount of marijuana is $10 million … and the price goes up the farther north and east you go.”
The seizure is the largest in the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department history, he said.
A patrol deputy discovered the haul around 9 a.m. after stopping a big rig driver headed north on Interstate 15, just past the Rainbow Canyon Road exit south of Temecula, for a traffic violation.
“The guy made an unsafe lane change,” Gutierrez said.
A search of the trailer revealed the contraband “stacked from front to back — solid,” he said.
Gutierrez said the marijuana was packed in 25-bundles that were placed in boxes.
“There was no real attempt to hide it,” he said.
The driver, whose name was not released, was in the custody of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agents, who are handling the investigation, Gutierrez said. The driver was described as Hispanic and his identification was being confirmed, Gutierrez said.
Tags: riverside county sheriff's department, Sgt. Dennis Gutierrez, SWRNN
Email
Bookmark
READER COMMENTS
9 comments
POST A COMMENT
* Required to comment
-
- Honest to God
15 - UPDATE: Fire in Wildomar at 15 acres; homes no longer threatened 11
- UPDATE: Valle Vista neighborhoods still closed after reports of gunfire; some residents stranded 10
- Look who's turning 1! SWRNN celebrates one-year anniversary 10
- 17-year-old Canyon Lake girl reported missing 8
- Prop 8 struck down by U.S. District judge in San Francisco today 6
- Local photographer will display work at MSJC Menifee campus Sept. 8 6
- Palm Desert DUI checkpoint nabs five drivers 5
- Police: Man uses bodily fluids to taint female co-worker's water bottle 5
- 'Ground Zero Mosque' furor not unlike debate over Temecula Islamic center 5
- Honest to God
-
- Temecula apartment fire confined to room; no injuries reported The fire was reported at 11:49 a.m. at the Morning Ridge Apartments in the 30660 Milky Way Drive.
- Man's cut-short prison sentence for 1983 killing of mother could be renewed Bruce Lisker, 45, was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 16 years to life in prison for the 1983 of fatally beating and stabbing his 66-year-old mother, Dorka, at her Sherman Oaks home. He was 17 years old at the time and using drugs.
- Brush fire near Campo by Pacific Crest Trail spreads to 300 acres The blaze created highly visible black smoke as it spread to the edge of Star Ranch, a working horse and cattle ranch and historical attraction.
- Los Angeles Unified votes to overhaul teacher evaluation process UTLA officials have been critical of a decision by the Los Angeles Times to post report cards for thousands of teachers, based on their students' scores on standardized tests.
- Menifee boy walks to save hearts after surviving rare heart condition In his short life, he has found something bigger to participate in each year -- the American Heart Association’s San Diego Heart Walk. Michael, along with Team Beat It members made up of family, friends and his past and present teachers, plans to walk in this year’s event on Sept. 19.
- Student who threatened community college professor in SD County arrested Oscar Torres, 22, also allegedly threatened the college community.
Comment by: maryjane Posted: August 26, 2009, 8:57 pm
A big thank you to the Riverside County sheriff’s department !!!
I know of locals who use this weed-and become half-wits as a result!
Comment by: Half-Wit Posted: August 27, 2009, 9:42 am
Such a waste of lovely cannabis. Perhaps the Sheriff can drop it off at my house?
Comment by: maryjane Posted: August 27, 2009, 11:53 am
maybe your lovely wife can dropp you off somewhere else as well!
Comment by: Tony Adams Posted: August 29, 2009, 11:58 am
I think this great haul should be divided up and donated to all the San Diego and Riverside medical marijuana collectives. It could help so many sick and dying people. This marijuana could be used to ease the symptoms of chemotherapy, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, wasting syndrome and a whole host of other diseases that this precious plant helps with. If the DEA is going to burn it, just tell us where. Anybody standing within a mile should be able to get medicated for free!
Comment by: michael-leonard Posted: August 29, 2009, 5:32 pm
“this haul should be donated to all the San Diego and Riverside medical marijuana collectives.”
What a GREAT idea! To bad our ‘elected representitives’ (Board of Supes) are all against it.
Comment by: Ryan Posted: August 31, 2009, 1:27 pm
Unfortunately, the cops receive absolutely no training indicating that it is legal for you to posess marijuana if you have a prescription. All of their training indicates all marijuana, including hemp, is an addictive drug with no medical benefit at all. For all we know, it could be a shipment going North to medical collectives elsewhere. But truth be told its probably just one more casualty in the war between drug cartels. Tip off the cops and your rival loses millions. The true lawbreaking is the graft and violence that surrounds those involved from the criminals and on to the cops themselves. If you want to see something sad, look at the civil asset forfeiture laws where people every day lose everything they have even if they are able to prove their innocence. Where does the money, TVs, cars, jewelery, etc go that is taken when your home is raided when you are accused of being a drug dealer, regardless of whether you are proven innocent? Into the pockets and personal possession of the cops staging the raids. Thats right, even if you are proven innocent in court there is no legal requirement for your catalogged posessions to be returned or you compensated, and thats just the cataloged items. The uncatalogged ones are never seen from again. Again, crime that would not happen if marijuana was legal. Civil asset forfeiture laws are the reason cops like drugs being illegal. If drugs were legal, the cops would have only drunks, and true criminals to police.
Comment by: Guy Posted: September 5, 2009, 2:46 pm
“If drugs were legal, the cops would have only drunks, and true criminals to police.”
Maybe do your commentary BEFORE you hit the bong next time.
Comment by: Jason Posted: September 10, 2009, 2:18 pm
What a waste of taxpayer money going after a harmless drug. Alcohol and tobacco are FAR less lethal than Marijuana. And to see other people like “Mary Jane” spread rumors and lies about Marijuana is the reason it is still illegal.
Eventually those in their 40’s and above will die off, and the stigma and ignorance attached to Marijuana will die with them, and the world will be left with the FACTS, marijuana is a harmless plant that has significant medical uses, as well as a safe “intoxicant” that has less harmful effects than alcohol.
These cops should be arresting and putting away drinkers and transporters of ALCOHOL!
Comment by: marijuana spokesman- Posted: August 4, 2010, 6:52 pm
i agree with most of the comments posted, i can asure you that this is not a shipment that was headed to a medical collective note it would have had all the permits and paper work needed to transport such a larg amount of it, yet the law is not gunna burn it any where they will put it under the county’s name and distribute it themselves and the money that they make will be used by the government to deport illegal immigrants that are doing no harm in the United States those funds will go toward ice and homland security dont get me wrong im pro about deporting the criminals and people who arent doing anything productive that are here illegaly also to pay off arnold’s depth that he put the state of California in and yeah if the plice and the dea were so concerned about public health they should bann tabacco and alcohol, drunk drivers are at all time highs, its one of the highest percentages of deaths across the u.s. its over 50% all related to alchohol use while operating a vehicle so you tell me? and why not let marijuana when when tabacco is accepted and legal in the states? its contradictory dont you think? i mean it causes cancer.. smoke some dank!