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45 Pounds Of Marijuana Slip Away From Cops Tracking It

POSTED: 4:29 pm EDT October 11, 2007
UPDATED: 6:05 pm EDT October 11, 2007

A drug sting mix-up allowed 45 pounds of marijuana to slip away from the cops who were tracking it.

Drug dogs sniffed out a combined total of 100 pounds of marijuana in two separate shipments that came into Orlando Sanford International Airport and Leesburg Regional Airport. Seminole and Lake County deputies allowed the drugs to get to their intended destination with plans to make a big bust, but somehow one of the shipments got away.

The sting operation didn't happen exactly as deputies had planned.

"What happened right here, I don't know, because I'm working all the time right here," said Geraldo Overa.

Overa watched as his boss, Rigoberto Arvizu, was taken down for drug trafficking on Monday. Investigators said the first 55 pounds of marijuana were delivered to Rigo's Custom Auto in Mount Dora. Knowing it would be delivered there, deputies staked out the site and pulled Arvizu's car over nearby.

"Only police coming right here and check everything in this place. They never talked to me for anything," Overa said.

But when it came time to intercept the second package, things didn't go as planned. At an undisclosed location, cops set up sting number two, but were surprised when several cars showed up at the drug delivery point.

"A short while after the delivery of the package, there was a flurry of activity. A couple of vehicles came into the area and left shortly after. One vehicle took off through an orange grove and apparently that's the vehicle that had the second package containing the marijuana," explained Sgt. John Herrell, Lake County Sheriff's Office.

According to a police report, Guillermo Herrera was warned about the first bust and apparently took precautions. Herrera was still arrested, but someone got away with 45 pounds of marijuana, drugs that may now be on Lake County streets.

"We like to get all the bad guys, all the drugs 100 percent of the time, but that's not always gonna be the case," Herrell said.

So with two arrests, including three loaded firearms, investigators are hopeful they can locate the missing car and its driver, whether the drugs will be found is anyone's guess.


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