Published: June 3, 2010
Updated: 8:39 a.m.

230 pounds of pot seized at I-5 rest stop

By SALVADOR HERNANDEZ
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

SAN CLEMENTE – Border Patrol agents seized 230 pounds of marijuana stashed in the trunk of a sedan as the driver tried to make his way along the I-5 freeway Tuesday, authorities said.

The driver, a 28-year-old man from Chula Vista, was taken into custody and handed over to agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The driver had stopped at a rest area near Camp Pendleton Tuesday morning and was spotted by an agent who was patrolling the area, according to a statement released by the U.S. Border Patrol. The agent "spotted some suspicious activity involving the male suspect," and went to investigate.

The agent spotted 46 tightly wrapped packages of marijuana in the trunk of the car, according to the statement. The packages weighed a total of 230 pounds and are believed to have a street value of more than $115,000, the agency said.

The suspect's name was not released.

Contact the writer: shernandez@ocregister.com or 949-454-7361

http://www.ocregister.com/news/spotted- ... agent.html