A California man was arrested Saturday night after Louisiana State Police found more than half a ton of marijuana inside his SUV during a traffic stop on Interstate 20 in Lincoln Parish.
Marco A. Martins, 39, of Burlingame, Calif., was booked into the Lincoln Parish Detention Center at 10:46 p.m. on one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Bond had not been set.
A trooper traveling east on I-20 near mile post 75 stopped a silver Kia Telluride with Florida plates at about 10:24 p.m. after the vehicle’s right-side tires crossed the fog line, according to an affidavit. Martins was issued a warning citation for improper lane use.
While speaking with Martins, the trooper saw several large boxes wrapped in plastic in the vehicle. A second trooper then deployed a K-9, which gave a positive alert on the vehicle, establishing probable cause for a search.
Troopers located 20 boxes containing hard, vacuum-sealed bags with the consistency of bricks. Martins was placed under arrest and secured in the rear of a patrol unit, and the Telluride was towed to the Lincoln Parish Narcotics Enforcement Team facility for a more thorough search.
That search turned up roughly 1,085 pounds of compressed marijuana packed inside the 20 boxes. Martins was booked at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center on the above charge of possession.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
For the latest local news, subscribe FOR FREE to the Lincoln Parish Journal and receive an email each weekday morning at 6:55 right to your inbox. Just CLICK HERE to sign up.
