Man Caught With 250 Lbs. Of Cocaine On I-78 In Hunterdon Co.: PD

HUNTERDON COUNTY, NJ — A California man was charged Sunday with conspiring to distribute more than 250 pounds of cocaine after authorities searched his tractor-trailer on Interstate 78 recently, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced Monday.

Angel Alfonso Maldonado, 25, of Long Beach, California was charged with conspiring to distribute and possession with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine, Carpenito said in a news release.

Maldonado appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph Dickson in Newark federal court Monday. He was detained, Carpenito said.

Authorities in Clinton saw a tractor-trailer pull onto the shoulder of Interstate 78. Maldonado, the tractor-trailer's owner, looked nervous when law enforcement officers approached him, the attorney said.

A certified drug detection dog screened the outside of the tractor-trailer and altered authorities of the presence of drugs on the side of the cabin, and inside the cabin, Carpenito said.

Authorities found two hidden compartments in the cabin. Each one contained about 57 kilograms of plastic-wrapped cocaine, Carpenito said. The 114 kilograms of cocaine is equal to more than 250 pounds.

The charge of conspiring to distribute and possession with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, and a mandatory term of 10 years in prison, and a $10 million fine, Carpenito said.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com