MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL
a division of the
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

Troop A - 504 SE Blue Parkway - Lee's Summit, MO 64063


NEWS RELEASE

For further information please contact: Sgt. Bill Lowe
(816) 622-0800 ext. 3159
A2014-12
April 14, 2014

EMPHASIS: Missouri State Trooper Makes Drug Seizure On Interstate 70


On April 11, 2014, a 2000 Ford Fusion was stopped by a Missouri state trooper for a traffic violation on eastbound Interstate 70 near the 58-mile marker in Lafayette County, Missouri. During the course of the traffic stop, inconsistencies and deceptive behavior of the occupants led the trooper to ask for consent to search the vehicle, which was granted. The trooper subsequently searched the vehicle locating 99 pounds of marijuana inside the trunk area of the vehicle.
Juan Mendez, 22, of Phoenix, Arizona, was arrested for second degree drug trafficking, and transported to the Lafayette County Jail.
The charge for which Mendez was arrested is merely an accusation and not evidence of guilt. Evidence in support of the above charge must be presented before a court of competent jurisdiction whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

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