Officers seize half-ton of pot, 12K pills

Tue, 05/05/2009 - 3:51pm
By: Ben Nelms

The Fayette County Sheriff’s Tactical Narcotics Team (TNT) made two seizures last week that netted nearly a half-ton of marijuana and 12,700 Xanax tablets.

TNT Lt. Jody Thomas said agents concluded an investigation April 30 that resulted in a traffic stop on Ga. Highway 74 in Tyrone, where agents seized 958 pounds of marijuana and arrested three persons, Thomas said. The marijuana was discovered in the back of a van after a Fayette County K-9 alerted deputies to the presence of the marijuana.

As a result of the traffic stop, Juan Luis Lopez, 32, of Riverdale, Jaime Ramirez, 35, of Modesto, Calif., and Oscar Lopez, 30, of McFarlen, Calif., were arrested and charged with trafficking marijuana, said Thomas.

All three are currently in the Fayette County Jail, Thomas said.

In a second incident, TNT agents on April 27 seized 12,700 Xanax tablets, according to Thomas.

The Xanax was seized after agents of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Atlanta Field Division notified TNT agents of a suspicious package at a local mail service in Fayetteville, said Thomas. Upon inspecting the package TNT Agents discovered the Schedule IV narcotic. The investigation is still on-going, he said.

Contacted Monday, Thomas said no other information relating to either case is currently available.

Xanax is medically prescribed to treat anxiety but can be addictive if abused.

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