On the way home from the gun show in Bessemer Saturday, we were coming up on the I-65 Walker Chapel exit. We were starved and wanted to grab a quick bite to take home with us. There was an 18-wheeler pulled over with a couple of Jefferson County sheriff cars. The truck driver was outside the back end of the truck, with the doors open and one of the sheriffs climbing inside.
I mentioned to Jim, “Looks like a drug search.” We went on and I didn’t think anything else about it, other than I had almost snapped off a few pics as we drove by.
This was just posted to the MyFoxAL feeds:
Breaking News: Record Cocaine Bust
BIRMINGHAM, Ala (WBRC-TV MyFoxAL.com) — The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office has announced that they have conducted what could be one of the largest cocaine seizures in the state of Alabama and probably the largest in Jefferson County.
On January 26, the Highway Safety Unity stopped a tractor trailer traveling North on I-65 near Walker’s Chapel Rd.
Upon inspection of the trailer, 265 pounds of cocaine was discovered.
The shipment was believed to be heading to the North-East of the country to be turned into crack-cocaine. The value of the drugs was approximately 7.2 million dollars.
Resident Mexican Alien Jose Luis Magana of Edinburg, Texas was arrested and charged with cocaine trafficking. He is being held under a 1 million dollar bond.
Edit: And this was just posted to the Birmingham News feeds:
265 pounds of cocaine seized in highway bust
Investigators confiscated 265 pounds of cocaine being smuggled in a truck traveling Saturday on Interstate 65 near Walker’s Chapel Road, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department announced.
The bust is believed to be one of the largest cocaine seizures in state history and the largest ever in Jefferson County, according to the department.
Authorities believe the cocaine was destined for the northeast where it would have been converted to crack cocaine with a street value of about $7.2 million.
The driver of the truck, Jose Luis Magana of Edinburg, Texas, was taken into custody and is being held in the Jefferson County Jail on a $1 million bond on charges of trafficking in cocaine.
The Sheriff’s Highway Safety Unit found the drugs and made the arrest.
Birmingham News staff
A Mexican immigrant. I’d guess illegal, but the media never reports that kind of thing anymore. Anyone surprised? That’s a prime example of the kind of element we DON’T want coming here. (Wishing more of the outspoken pro-immigration community would denounce these kind of lowlifes that seem to keep sneaking up here!)
Anyway … I knew should’ve snagged those pics. Oh well, ’tis a cool catch for the local sheriffs dept! :cool:
Kat
Yay! Good for them!
Conservative Belle
Does Alabama require law enforcement to inquire about citizenship? Just wonderin’
Wes
WOW! That is an insane bust!
Nicki
@Belle: I dunno. I’ve never gotten a definitive answer about that. I don’t think they do …
Prvtctzn
As a side note, there may or may not have been a problem snapping pics of the sheriff doing their job. I recently (about 3 months ago or so) did quite a bit net research on this sometimes volatile subject and it was an eye-opener. I even talked to a lawyer that has defended folks that have been either arrested or had their cameras confiscated. Driving by and snapping one pic on a camera phone would *probably* not get their attention, but certainly under the ‘wrong’ conditions, it will indeed. Your mileage may vary :cool:
Nicki
Prvtctzn, yeah, I’ve heard similar stories from folks both around here and in other states who’ve encountered trouble when photographing. I guess it just depends on the situation and local laws.
joe
did you happen to notice the name of the trucking company? I am in the trucking business and deal with a lot of companies out of South Tx. I would like to be aware of this company if you can recall. Thanks for the post.
Nicki
Hi Joe,
I didn’t notice any on the truck. I don’t remember seeing so much as a “How’s my driving?” sticker … *shrug* So I have no idea who he was working for (if anyone?), and the papers haven’t said anymore about it that I’ve seen.