Texas Deputy, K-9 Seize $1.5M in Cocaine During Traffic Stop

A Texas sheriff’s deputy and his K-9 partner stopped $1.5 million in cocaine from reaching its final destination during a traffic stop on Monday.

Fayette County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Randy Thuman stopped a Ford F-150 for a traffic violation on Interstate 10 between San Antonio and Houston. Following an interview with the driver and his passenger, the sergeant became suspicious that the pair could be smuggling drugs, according to a statement provided to Breitbart News by Fayette County Sheriff’s Office Lt. David Beyer.

Thuman obtained a consent to search the vehicle and discovered multiple bundles of drugs behind the rear seat, the rear floor, and under the center console, Beyer stated. The bundles contained approximately 15 kilos of what tested positive to be cocaine.

Beyer said the cocaine has an estimated street value of about $1.5 million.

Sgt. Thuman and his K-9 partner Kolt placed the driver, 25-year-old Leonardo Escobedo and 39-year-old Margarita Yesenia Montes under arrest and transported them to the Dan R. Beck Justice Center in La Grange, Texas. Beyer reported that both occupants of the vehicle were U.S. citizens from Eagle Pass, Texas.  The vehicle is registered in Texas.

Eagle Pass is an area where drug trafficking is known to be controlled by Los Zetas, a Mexican cartel.

Breitbart News’ Border/Cartel Chronicles team reports extensively on the violent activities of this cartel throughout the state of Coahuila, Mexico. The reports include information about the coverup by local government regarding the mass killings that included the use of 55-gallon drums to incinerate victims.

In February 2016, Border/Cartel Chronicles Editor-in-Chief Brandon Darby and border journalist Ildefonso Ortiz published an exposé revealing a network of ovens used to hide the mass extermination of Los Zetas’ enemies. It is believed that more than 400 people in the Mexican town of Allende and surrounding towns fell victim to the mass killings.

The report revealed the cartel’s control of the Piedras Negras prison where cartel members turned the facility into a crematorium, hiding the execution of hundreds.

Los Zetas carried out the ruthless executions to maintain control of the lucrative drug trafficking corridor, Breitbart News reported.

In Fayette County, Texas, Sgt. Thuman became highly efficient at the interdiction of drugs being trafficked from Eagle Pass and El Paso. He and his K-9 partners Lobos and Kolt stop the flow of millions of dollars worth of drugs through the eastbound lanes of Interstate 10 and millions of dollars in cash from making its way westward to Mexico.

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for the Breitbart Border team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX and Facebook.