A trooper with the Nebraska State Patrol who stopped to help a stranded commercial box truck driver along Interstate 80 near Cozad on Saturday ended up triggering the seizure of roughly $5-million dollars worth of marijuana.
State Patrol spokesman Cody Thomas says as the trooper helped the truck driver with mechanical problems about 1:30 in the afternoon, he became suspicious of criminal activity. His concerns led to the truck being towed to the Patrol office in Lexington for a probable cause search.
The Dawson County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the search, which revealed 2,295 pounds of marijuana concealed inside cardboard boxes marked as electronics and other items.
The truck driver, 33-year old Nolan Amado of Buckeye, Arizona, was arrested for possession of more than a pound of marijuana, possession with intent to deliver, and no drug tax stamp. Amado was lodged in the Dawson County Jail.