Marijuana Bust Latest in Several From The Last 12 Months

A drug bust earlier this week is the latest significant marijuana seizure made by the Wyoming Highway Patrol in the last several months.

A stop of a vehicle speeding on I-80, Tuesday, led Troopers to the seizure of 20 pounds of marijuana and the arrest of two men who were in the car.  Highway Patrol spokesperson Sgt. Steven Townsend says that it is believed that the final destination for the drugs was Indiana.

The street value of the marijuana seized on Tuesday is estimated at approximately $138,000.

Tuesday's arrest and seizure is the latest in several significant drug busts made by the Wyoming Highway Patrol over the last year.  Just last month Troopers reported several unrelated drug seizures across the state netting nearly 100 pounds of marijuana being removed from Wyoming Highways and an undisclosed exact amount of currency over $32,000 being seized as well.  The currency was believed to have been related to drug trafficking or other crime.

Last autumn, a Highway Patrol traffic stop resulted in the seizure of 16 pounds of marijuana about 45 miles East of the community of Evanston, another stop in Albany County also resulted in the capture of 80 pounds of the drug.

Sgt. Townsend goes on to say that it is typical of large drug busts that Wyoming may not necessarily be the intended stop for the contraband.

"Once in a while we do get a large amount that's headed for Wyoming," he says.  "But usually, with our three interstates that criss-cross the state they're headed for locations out of the state.  Usually East of Wyoming."

In several of these recent significant busts, the contact with the suspects begins after the suspect vehicle was observed breaking traffic laws.