Weslaco police find ton of pot among avocados

WESLACO — Police made two arrests after finding more than a ton of marijuana among a load of avocados along Expressway 83.

A Weslaco police patrol officer stopped a red Peterbilt tractor trailer at 700 E. Expressway 83 about 5:15 p.m. Friday, according to a department statement.

Officers said the driver appeared to be nervous during the traffic stop. A canine searched the outside of the trailer and alerted police to narcotic odors inside.

Investigators took the vehicle to the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge, where an X-ray revealed anomalies inside the trailer. Police later found about 2,500 pounds of marijuana hidden in the trailer alongside avocados.

Police arrested Marciano Noriega Gonzalez, 45, of Yakima, Wash., and Patricia Marquez De Haro, 47, of Corona, Calif.

Both people were charged with felony possession of marijuana, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison because more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana was found.

Gonzalez was also charged with carrying a prohibited weapon — a class A misdemeanor — after officers found him with a belt buckle that also was a knife.

Bond for Gonzalez was set at $102,500 during an arraignment in Weslaco Municipal Court. De Haro's bond was set at $100,000.

Both people were transported to the Hidalgo County Jail on Saturday.