Highway Interdiction Unit Finds 4.5 Pounds Of Marijuana In BMW Dashboard
On Tuesday, November 30, 2010, at approximately 9:06 p.m., a Detective assigned to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Highway Interdiction Unit was patrolling I-75 in North Fort Myers. The Detective conducted a traffic stop on a 1997 BMW for traveling too closely. The vehicle had two occupants who were traveling from Miami to St. Petersburg. Upon making contact with the driver, the Detective noticed a clear odor of raw marijuana coming from the interior of the vehicle. The driver had prior criminal history for distributing narcotics in Pinellas County. Consent to search was given to the Detective by the operator of the vehicle. A search was conducted revealing a voided air bag area, and later a Narcotics K-9 was utilized and alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle in the same location. The passenger was determined to have a warrant out of Pinellas County, Florida.
A search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of 4.5 pounds (4 bricks) of marijuana concealed inside the dashboard of vehicle. The vehicle air bag had been removed to utilize the void space to conceal the illegal narcotics.
At the conclusion of the investigation, Alejandro Benitez-Vazquez (DOB 10/08/88) and Jorge L. Ramirez (DOB 04/25/91) were arrested and charged as follows:
Possession with intent to distribute marijuana
Benitez-Vazquez was also charged with:
Keeping a vehicle to maintain a controlled substance
Ramirez was also charged with an outstanding warrant for failing to appear on a traffic charge.
Booking photos and additional information can be found on the Sheriff’s Office website at www.sherifflelfl.org under Arrest & Inmates / Search Lee County Arrests, after processing.