11 Tons of Marijuana Seized in Illinois

Updated: Thursday, 16 Dec 2010, 3:19 PM MST
Published : Thursday, 16 Dec 2010, 3:19 PM MST

(NewsCore) - Seven men were charged with conspiracy to possess and distribute marijuana Thursday, a day after they were arrested during a seizure of nearly 11 tons of marijuana from Mexican train cars at an Illinois warehouse.

The seizure, conservatively estimated at 21,800 pounds (9,888 kilograms), was packed into six railroad cars from Mexico that had arrived at the Chicago Heights, Ill., warehouse earlier this month. The marijuana is estimated to have a value of approximately $22 million, and officials believe the seizure is the largest ever in the Chicago area, the Justice Department said in a press release.

It came after a month-long investigation that began on Nov. 17, when Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Eagle Pass, Tex., discovered a Union Pacific train bound for Chicago Heights was carrying the load of marijuana. CBP officers confirmed the packages listed as “TITANIUM PIGMENTS ORâ€