Temecula
Two New York men were taken into custody early Wednesday by Border Patrol agents when a search of their rented car netted 294 pounds of marijuana valued at $882,000.
According to a Border Patrol report, agents working at the Temecula checkpoint on Interstate 15 became suspicious of the pair and ordered them to the secondary inspection station.
A dog trained to sniff out drugs alerted agents to the presence of several pounds of marijuana in two suitcases. A more thorough search of the vehicle led to the seizure of a larger load of the drug from the trunk.
Border Patrol officials said that Stuart Reinhardt of Staten Island and Michael Palumbo, Jr. of Brooklyn were taken into custody at 12:15 a.m. The two men, whose ages were not available, were transferred to the custody of officers from the North County Narcotics Task Force.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
