700 Pounds of Pot Found in Speeding Van

A motorist stopped for speeding in Industry on Sunday was arrested along with his passenger after a California Highway Patrol officer found about 705 pounds of marijuana inside the van, according to the CHP.

Demetrio Medina, 35, of Galt, and his passenger, Jose Leyva, 31, of Hawthorne, were booked on suspicion of possessing and transporting marijuana.

The incident occurred about 10 a.m. when the officer spotted a blue 1997 Dodge Caravan, headed west on the Pomona Freeway, traveling at 80 mph, said CHP spokesman Garry Goldenberg.

Goldenberg said that during the traffic stop, the officer noticed several suspiciously wrapped bundles in the rear of the van.

“He went up with the thought that he was going to write a ticket, and somewhere along the line, peering in, he saw this stuff packaged up,” Goldenberg said. “Because of his drug training, he obviously realized something was wrong.”

It was determined that the bales, each weighing about 50 pounds, contained marijuana, and the men were arrested, he said. Goldenberg said it was not yet known where the men were heading or whether they might be part of a larger drug trafficking ring.

“They weren’t your local home growers selling dime bags, but we don’t know if they had connections with Mexican Mafia or some other drug outfit,” he said.