Missouri Police Discover 53 Bricks of Cocaine in Vehicle

I have friends who have worked in Missouri law enforcement for decades and they have told me that you never know what you'll find during even what looks like a routine traffic stop. That proved true recently as Missouri law enforcement stopped a vehicle that was later revealed to contain 53 bricks full of cocaine.

The United States Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Missouri shared details a few days ago of what a county sheriff's deputy uncovered. A Phelps County Sheriff’s Department deputy stopped a vehicle driven by Rene Alejandro Valdivia-Gonzalez, 41, of Phoenix, Arizona. His Mercedes Sprinter van was stopped for a traffic violation. He had reasonable suspicion to request a search of the vehicle which Valdivia-Gonzalez agreed to. During that search, the Missouri deputy found an after-market installation under the floorboard which contained 53 bricks which all contained cocaine. The total weight of the cocaine seized amounted to 58.85 kilograms. The man pled guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine and will be sentenced in October facing at least 10 years in prison.

This arrest and conviction was a concerted effort by the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI. It's also part of a larger effort by the FBI known as the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation that "identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations".