$300,000 Marijuana Found During I-40 Traffic Stop

On Monday a traffic stop on I-40 turned into more than another moving violation.

Around noon on Monday on I-40 at mile marker 56, near Bushland, Potter County Sheriff's Deputies stopped a car with two occupants inside, both from California.

During the traffic stop, deputies became suspicious of possible criminal activity and initiated a search of the vehicle.  A K9 unit was deployed to the scene and conducted a free air sniff around the outside of the vehicle.  The K9 alerted on the vehicle and indicated the odor of narcotics was present.  The deputies then began a deeper search of the vehicle.

Inside the vehicle deputies found three suitcases.  Inside the suitcases they found a total of 56 bags of marijuana, weighing approximately 50 pounds.  Both subjects were arrested for felony possession of marijuana and booked into the Potter County Detention Center.

26-year-old Giovani Caraballo and 27-year-old Eli DelaCruz, both from California were taken into custody and charged.