Wyoming Authorities Seize Nearly 200 Pounds of Pot in I-80 Traffic Stop
A California man was arrested Saturday after Sweetwater County Sheriff's deputies allegedly found nearly 200 pounds of marijuana in his vehicle.
Jorge Carlos Villafuerte Paniagua, 29, of San Diego, was arrested on charges of felony possession and possession with intent to deliver.
Sweetwater County Sheriff Mike Lowell said in a news release Monday that one of his deputies, along with a K9 partner on Saturday, stopped Paniagua's vehicle on Interstate 80.
During that traffic stop, a strong odor of marijuana was reportedly detected coming from the vehicle. A search allegedly turned up 190.53 pounds of marijuana in 171 vacuum-sealed bags.
Four marijuana oil cartridges and six refill cartridges were also seized, Lowell says. Street value of the seized drugs is estimated at well over $950,000, according to the release.
Paniagua was arrested without incident. As of Monday afternoon, he was being held at the Sweetwater County Detention Center on $15,000 cash or surety bond.