Nebraska state leaders are praising the Nebraska State Patrol after two major criminal interdiction cases in Dawson County this month. In separate incidents, troopers seized nearly 20,000 pounds of drugs and recovered a semi-trailer loaded with stolen electronics and other merchandise.
The first case happened September 4 during a traffic stop on I-80 near Cozad. State Patrol Colonel Bryan Waugh says a trooper was conducting a commercial vehicle inspection and detected the odor of marijuana.
A search of the semi-trailer uncovered 27 pallets containing about 5,200 pounds of marijuana, 13,600 pounds of THC products and 1,000 pounds of psilocybin products. The estimated street value is more than 50 million dollars, making it the largest drug interdiction in State Patrol history.
Governor Jim Pillen says the seizure shows the importance of highly trained troopers. “Both of these seizures happened because our troopers are highly trained and are ready to investigate when it appears criminal activity is underway.”
The driver, 44-year-old William Gomez of Virginia, was arrested on drug possession and possession-with-intent-to-deliver charges. The second case happened September ninth near Gothenburg after the State Patrol received information that a semi could be carrying $250,000 dollars worth of stolen professional speaker equipment.
Troopers obtained a search warrant and found the speakers, along with other merchandise. Investigators determined the items had been stolen from Illinois and New York. “These two investigations are excellent examples of troopers looking beyond the initial traffic stop for indicators of criminal activity,” Waugh says.
The driver in the theft case, identified as Ashwani Kumar, has an arrest warrant after leaving the scene. Lt. Governor Joe Kelly says the drug trade is constantly changing. “The drug trade is international, it’s national, it’s ongoing. It doesn’t slow up and the tactics change all the time. And thank God the Nebraska State Patrol is there, always trying to stay ahead of this game.”
