COLUMBUS – Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers arrested a man from Mexico and seized approximately $9 million worth of cocaine during a traffic stop on I-70 in Madison County last week.
Troopers observed “criminal indicators” after stopping a U-Haul truck with an Arizona registration for following too closely just before 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, patrol spokesman Lt. David Smith said.
A drug-sniffing dog alerted to the vehicle and a search revealed 220 pounds of cocaine, Smith said.
The driver, Sebastian Flores, of Mexicali, Mexico, was charged with possession of cocaine, a first-degree felony, and taken to the Tri-County Jail.
The suspected narcotics were sent to the patrol’s crime for testing.
If convicted, Flores, 25, could face up to 11 years in prison and up to a $20,000 fine, Smith said.