500-PLUS POUNDS OF MARIJUANA CAUGHT TROOPER’S EYE

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Beneath a bulging truck bed cover, a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper found more than 500 pounds of pot.

The driver of the truck, Edgar Garcia, 31, Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced Monday to 2 years in federal prison. The man to whom Garcia was delivering the marijuana already has been sentenced to more than 10 years. A third defendant, who was in the truck with Garcia, is set for sentencing Thursday.

Garcia pleaded guilty in September to one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana. In his plea, Garcia admitted that on Feb. 7, 2006, he was hauling approximately 230 kilograms (about 507 pounds) of marijuana when he was pulled over for a traffic violation near mile marker 320 on I-70 in Riley County, Kan.

The trooper noticed that the cover on the bed of Garcia’s gold 1999 Chevrolet Silverado was open 6-8 inches and two large bags were visible. Garcia told the trooper he had lost his driver’s license, but his passenger, Jose Portillo-Varela, 24, Albuquerque, N.M., had one. The trooper gave Garcia a warning citation. A subsequent search of the truck led to the seizure of the bags, which lab tests confirmed contained marijuana.

When Garcia was questioned, he admitted he was being paid $2,500 to haul the marijuana and he said he was paying Portillo-Varela to assist him. Drug Enforcement Administration agents arranged for the load to be taken on to its intended destination. Adrian Munoz-Ortiz, 22, Kansas City, Kan., was arrested when he attempted to pick up the load in a parking lot of a Price Chopper store in Kansas City, Mo.

Munoz-Ortiz was sentenced Dec. 11 to 121 months in federal prison. Portillo-Varela is set for sentencing Thursday.

U.S. Attorney Eric Melgren commended the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel for their work on the case.

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