Troopers seize $1.75M in cocaine during I-70 traffic stop; Arizona woman charged
Mar. 26—Troopers seized 110 pounds of cocaine, worth an estimated $1.75 million, during a Friday afternoon traffic stop on Interstate 70 in Madison County.
Felony charges were filed Tuesday against 27-year-old Andrea I. Celaya Rodriguez, of Tucson, Arizona, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Troopers stopped a rented box truck with an out-of-state registration around 1:30 p.m. Friday as it was headed east on I-70 for an unsafe lane change, following too closely to the vehicle ahead of it and for not using headlights while driving in the rain, the patrol said.
While troopers were interacting with Celaya Rodriguez, she reportedly exhibited a high level of nervous behavior, gave an unusual travel story and they observed possible criminal items in the truck. A drug-sniffing canine also alerted to the vehicle, and during a search, troopers found 110 pounds of cocaine, wrapped in 50 packages, worth an estimated $1.75 million.
Celaya Rodriguez was taken into custody and is being held at the Franklin County Jail.
She is charged with trafficking in drugs and possession of drugs, both of which are first-degree felonies. If convicted, she could face up to 25 years in prison and up to a $50,000 fine.
