texas

$1.6 Million in Pot Found During Three Panhandle Traffic Stops

The Texas Department of Public Safety seized nearly 270 pounds of marijuana last week worth more than $1.6 million during three traffic stops in the Panhandle.

DPS officials posted about the busts on Facebook, saying State Troopers stopped all of the drivers in Oldham County, west of Amarillo, for traffic violations.

In each case, DPS officials said a DPS canine alerted on the vehicle and that multiple, vacuum-sealed packages of pot were found inside.

  • Tuesday, Feb. 6 -- 123 pounds worth $746,000 was found in vacuum-sealed packages. Two men, 19-year-old Joseph Villano-Salazar, of Patterson, California, and 19-year-old Javier Garcia, of Newman, California, were arrested and charged with possession. The drugs were allegedly being transported from Newman, California, to Houma, Louisiana.
  • Friday, Feb. 9 -- 64 pounds worth $389,000 found in duffle bags. Xue Huang, 45, of Philadelphia, was arrested and charged with possession. Police said the drugs were allegedly being transported between Covina, California and Philadelphia.
  • Sunday, Feb. 11 -- 82 pounds worth $501,000 found in four duffle bags. Louis Boyd, 63, of Flagler Beach, Florida was arrested and accused of possession. Police say the drugs were allegedly being transported between San Francisco and Flagler Beach, Florida.

During the initial traffic stop on Feb. 6, the driver of a 2014 Infiniti Q50 tried to distract the trooper by cutting in front of the driver being stopped and then sped away.

That person, 20-year-old Gabriel Aguilar, was later arrested and accused of having knowledge of the marijuana.

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