There has been a noticeable increase lately in the number traffic stops by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics on I-40 in the Tiger Mountain area that have resulted in drug arrests.
In the past three weeks there have been six arrests, and more than 200 pounds of marijuana confiscated.
The most recent took place on July 23, when a man and woman from California were arrested and two suitcases containing 30 bundles of marijuana were found in their vehicle.
On July 16, an Oklahoma City man was stopped, and 100 pounds of marijuana were found hidden under bags of chicken feed in the bed of his pickup.
The arrests are likely to continue for some time to come, thanks to an increase in manpower – and K-9 power – at the OBN.
“We have expanded our K-9 interdiction unit,” said OBN spokesman Mark Woodward. “In the past we had been concentrating more in the Oklahoma City area, but now we have expanded more into Eastern Oklahoma.”
Woodward said Oklahoma’s legalization of marijuana has increased the amount of illegal marijuana being grown on farms in the state and transported elsewhere.
Many of the recent stops by OBN have taken place in the area of Mile Marker 250 on Interstate 40 at Tiger Mountain in western McIntosh County.
Those stops are generally random, made by officers who see suspicious driving behavior.
“Sometimes, investigators will report to us to expect a load of cocaine that might be coming through,” Woodward said.
Since most stops are random, it is unknown how much marijuana and other drugs escape detection as dealers pass through the state, especially on the I-40 and U.S. Highway 69 corridors.
Sassenberger, Palacios On July 30, Ashley Lynn Sassenberger, 26, of Hesperia, Calif., and Ericnho Palacios, 30, of Corona, Calif., were eastbound on I-40 when OBN agents stopped them for speeding.
Investigators smelled a heavy odor of marijuana and upon investigation found two suitcases containing 30 bundles of the substance.
The two suspects have been charged in McIntosh County District Court with drug trafficking and conspiracy.
Bond for Palacios, driver of the vehicle, was set at $75,000. He is scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m. on Sept. 11.
The bond for Sassenbeger was set at $50,000. She is scheduled to appear in court at 9 a.m. on Aug. 21.
Lambert
On July 16, Jermaine Deangelo Lambert, 34, of Oklahoma City, was stopped at Mile Marker 259 for following too closely in a 2016 Dodge pickup.
The officer smelled the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle and a K-9 dog discovered 100 pounds of the drug hidden under large sacks of chicken feed in the bed of the vehicle.
On July 23 he was charged with trafficking in illegal drugs and bond was set at $75,000. His next court appearance will be at 9 a.m. on Aug. 13.
Deng, Zhao
Two California men were stopped on July 16 in the area of Mile Marker 252 on I-40. Fifty pounds of marijuana were found in their vehicle.
Charged with drug trafficking and conspiracy were Siwei Deng, 36, of Glendora, Calif., and Yangwu Zhao, 36, of El Monte, Calif.
The arresting officer said he saw a Honda minivan westbound on I-40 failing to maintain its proper lanes.
When he made a traffic stop, he found two cardboard boxes in the rear of the vehicle covered by a sheet. Each box contained 25-onepound bags of marijuana.
Bond for Deng was set at $75,000. For Zhao, bond was set at $100,000. Both suspects are to appear in court at 9 a.m. on Aug. 21.
Xiong
Bruce Zang Xiong, 56, of Minneapolis, Minn., was arrested on July 22 in the same general location on I-40.
The arresting officer observed a Toyota Tacoma making an improper lane change and stopped to issue a citation.
After making the stop, the officer smelled a heavy aroma of marijuana. A K-9 found two large black trash bags in the bed of the truck. Each bag contained 20 one-pound bags of marijuana.
Xiong’s bond was set at $75,000. His next court appearance will be at 9 a.m., Aug. 21.
