Over 110 Pounds Of Cocaine Found During Highway Safety Check: ISP

BLOOMINGTON, IL — State police seized more than 110 pounds of suspected cocaine and arrested two California men after a safety inspection Thursday on Interstate 55, according to a release. A trooper pulled over a tractor-trailer for an inspection on northbound I-55 in McClean County near the town of Towanda.

State police said the trooper noticed "indicators of possible criminal activity" during the inspection. An ISP spokesperson declined to say what triggered the trooper's suspicion, suggesting it might jeopardize the prosecution of the case.

A police dog was called in to search for the smell of contraband, and the ISP canine unit alerted troopers to the smell of illegal drugs inside the semitrailer, state police said.

State troopers and deputies from the McLean County Sheriff's Office searched the trailer and seized 50 kilograms of cocaine — equating to about 110¼ pounds. The drugs had been hidden inside legitimate freight in the back of the trailer, state police said.

Brandon R. Weise, 35, of Murrieta, California, and Miguel Martinez, 36, of Desert Springs, California were arrested and taken to McClean County Jail, according to state police and county officials.

Both men were charged with controlled substance trafficking and the manufacture or delivery of more than 900 grams of cocaine, according to the McClean County Clerk of the Circuit Court.

At a bond hearing Friday, a judge ordered both men held in lieu of a $500,000 cash bond.

The McClean County State's Attorney's Office declined to disclose the men's charges or what penalties they face if convicted.