I-40 stop nets 52 pounds of cocaine [Shocking: Illegals]

[AppyPappy]

I-40 stop nets 52 pounds of cocaine

7-3-03

News & Record

Posted 9:50 a.m.

STATESVILLE (AP) -- Iredell County sheriff's deputies who stopped a car on Interstate 40 earlier this week netted 52 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $5.6 million, authorities said.

"I think anytime you seize in excess of $5 million off the street, it's a pretty big lick," said sheriff's Lt. Jimmy Craven, director of Iredell's narcotics division. "That's a big loss to somebody, whoever the big man is."

The car, carrying three Mexican nationals, was stopped Monday as it headed east on I-40 in the community of Cool Springs. Iredell deputies Joseph Tulbert and J.C. Elliott, who pulled the car over because it had an illegal tinted cover on its license plate, found 19 packages of cocaine hidden in two false compartments.

The previous largest amount of cocaine seized on I-40 in the state had been about 11 pounds, deputies said.

The car's driver, Jose Daniel Amador Beltran of Nogales, Mexico, was charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana. He is in the Mecklenburg County jail without bond, Deputy U.S. Marshal Steve Gladden said.

Beltran's car had crossed the border 28 times, most recently at the Nogales crossing two days before the deputies' stop, Tulbert said.

[AppyPappy]

I'm shocked!!

Beltran's car had crossed the border 28 times, most recently at the Nogales crossing two days before the deputies' stop, Tulbert said

A mere coincidence I'm sure

[AppyPappy]

CRAP!! The link

[laweeks]

Golly Gosh! I was told they just came up here for jobs! I'm shocked.

[MrLeRoy]

Iredell County sheriff's deputies who stopped a car on Interstate 40 earlier this week netted 52 pounds of cocaine

Another teaspoonful scooped out of the ocean---we'll have that sucker emptied any day now.

[NautiNurse]

North Carolina--I am guessing by the county--although I-40 runs from coast to coast.

[battlegearboat]

Once again, and I'm not picking on you Pappy, the state that this occured in is left out.

More often than not, when articles are posted from various regions, the complete location is left out.

No big deal, just frustrating at times.

Carry on.

[Capt.YankeeMike]

yeah, big "lick" allright. It cost the "big man" one load. probably less than 5K total investment. He will make it up and double the 5M on the next load......did anyone else catch the reason they stopped them? be careful out there with those license plate camera foilers....

[skeeter]

We should be thanking them, they're propping up our economy.

It'd collapse in a day without 'em, doncha know.

[nygoose]

There is a Mecklenburg County in Kentucky.

[tahiti]

"Iredell deputies Joseph Tulbert and J.C. Elliott, who pulled the car over because it had an illegal tinted cover on its license plate,"

Yeah, right.

[AppyPappy]

I'm sure that was it. It's just coincidental that the car had been bouncing across the border and the feds knew it.

[Tarheel]

This occurred in mid-Iredell county, about 45 miles north of Charlotte. There, in Statesville, you have the intersection of I-40 and I-77. For the last 10/20 years the Interstates in NC (I-40,77,85,95 )have been pipelines for illegal substances going north to the major metropolitan areas. Arrests are frequent and it is not unusual to have Mexican nationals involved.

In addition the state has had a huge Hispanic population growth in the last 5-8 years.

The Tarheel

[nygoose]

Sorry! It's North Carolina.

[DWPittelli]

Even sold by the single gram, I don't think anyone gets $237 per gram for cocaine (as I calculate this claimed value to amount to). Maybe half that. And of course, the wholesale price for such a quantity is less than half of that. So it's more like a $1 million shipment.

[txdoda]

Beltran's car had crossed the border 28 times, most recently at the Nogales crossing two days before the deputies' stop, Tulbert said>>>>>

Looks like our gov't continues to FAIL in our 30 yr. "war on drugs".......only thing *new* is billions more tax dollars now being spent on a "long war on terror".

So much for our expensive new HSD, AND Tom Ridge, who now says "mexicans are not a threat to our national security".

While they may not be a "threat", *per say*, they CONTINUE to cost taxpayers billions every year in policing their illegal activities in the USA. Never mind the billions they cost us in welfare, education, etc.

[AppyPappy]

They didn't fail. They caught the guys.

[jmc813]

WOD Ping

[txdoda]

They didn't fail. They caught the guys. >>>>>>>>>

This time......wonder WHAT they brought over the other 27 TIMES ??? and if one car can get thru with 52 lbs. of dope, I wonder what could be in any of the other MILLIONS of cars that cross DAILY ??

[AppyPappy]

How many people speed and get away with it?
Should we eliminate laws against speeding?

How many people drive drunk and get away with it?
Should we eliminate laws against drunk driving?

[Just another Joe]

Beltran's car had crossed the border 28 times, most recently at the Nogales crossing two days before the deputies' stop, Tulbert said.

So the other 27 loads, at about $5 million a load, got through. Now there's a record to be proud of.
1,400 lbs gets through and 52 lbs is confiscated - from just ONE runner.

BTW, just for the record, it doesn't say anywhere in the article that these were illegals.