By Conrad Dudderar
Staff Writer
A New York state duo face drug trafficking charges after Yukon Police found 143 pounds of marijuana in their rental vehicle.
Rochester, N.Y.’s Zacha Deliz Cruz Ayala, 28, and Erika Yvette Sanchez, 25, were arrested after a traffic stop late last Saturday night on Interstate 40 in Yukon.
Yukon police investigators believe they were transporting the drugs in a rented sport utility-style van, which was being driven by Sanchez.
The driver allegedly committed a traffic violation about 11:12 p.m. Sept. 25 on I-40 near Frisco Road.
“The vehicle was finally stopped at I-40 and Czech Hall Road,” Deputy Police Chief John Brown said. “Officers smelled an odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle.
“During an interview with the suspects, they were able to determine there was some personal-use marijuana inside the vehicle. When the officers searched the vehicle, they discovered the 143 pounds inside.”
NO MARIJUANA CARD
Yukon Police determined neither Ayala nor Sanchez possessed an Oklahoma medical marijuana license.
So, they were taken into custody and the vehicle was impounded.
Ayala and Sanchez were booked Sept. 25 at the Canadian County Jail in El Reno. Formal felony drug trafficking charges were filed Sept. 29 in Canadian County District Court.
Police have retained the large quantity of marijuana as evidence in the criminal case.
Yukon police officers frequently make traffic stops along I-40 since the highway crosses through city limits, Brown noted.
“We patrol all parts of Yukon,” he said.
