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
A2013-16
May 29, 2013

EMPHASIS: Missouri State Trooper Makes Drug Seizure On Interstate 70

On May 28, 2013, a 1997 Plymouth Breeze was stopped by a Missouri state trooper for a traffic violation on eastbound Interstate 70 near the 52.8-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 36 pounds of marijuana inside the trunk of the vehicle.
Juan M. Perez-Hernandez, 40, and Lillian C. Duarte, 41, of Tucson, Arizona, were arrested for second degree drug trafficking. They were transported to the Lafayette County Jail.
The charges for which the above individuals were arrested are mere accusation and not evidence of guilt. Evidence in support of the above charges must be presented before a court of competent jurisdiction whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

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