East Texas

Texas Highway Patrol troopers seized 150 pounds of marijuana this morning following a traffic stop of a motor home along Interstate 20.

The troopers, assigned to Gregg County, stopped a Florida couple west of Longview for traffic violation enforcement, according to Gregg County Sheriff's Lt. Mike Claxton.

Troopers interviewed the couple and called for a narcotics-sniffing canine, according to Claxton.

Sheriff’s Investigator Tracy Freeman used Luctor, a narcotics-sniffing canine, to search the motor home. Luctor indicated the presence of narcotics within the motor home, according to Claxton, and a subsequent search of the motor home revealed packaged marijuana stored under the bed within the motor home.

One hundred fifty pounds of suspected marijuana was seized thanks to Luctor, Claxton said in a prepared statement. The couple was arrested and transported to the Gregg County Jail, charged with possession of marijuana over 50 pounds less than 2000 pounds, a second-degree felony.

“This is a significant drug seizure,” said Gregg County Sheriff Maxey Cerliano in a prepared statement. “Luctor has certainly performed well for us.”

Luctor has been in service since 2002, according to Claxton. Freeman is assigned to criminal narcotics interdiction and has made numerous seizures with Luctor, Claxton said.

Troopers Jacob Muehlstein and Brandon Smith were involved in today’s detention and arrests of the Florida couple, and seized an undisclosed amount of currency from the couple.

The couple remains in the Gregg County Jail and are scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday.

(Submitted photo)