SOUTH CAROLINA — A traffic stop for speeding in Lancaster County led to the arrest of a man accused of trafficking more than 17 pounds of marijuana, according to the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office.
Gerardo Rangel, 24, was pulled over on Highway 521 in Indian Land on Tuesday, July 15, after a deputy clocked him driving 62 mph in a 45 mph zone.
During the stop, the deputy reported smelling marijuana coming from Rangel’s pickup truck.
Rangel reportedly handed over a small bag containing about seven grams of marijuana. A second deputy then searched the vehicle and discovered a cardboard box with two vacuum-sealed bags of marijuana inside.
Additional bags were found in the truck bed, bringing the total weight to approximately 17 pounds, officials said.
Deputies also found nearly $10,000 in cash inside the truck’s center console.
Rangel was arrested and taken to the Lancaster County jail, where he was charged with trafficking 10 to 100 pounds of marijuana. He was also cited for speeding and for not having proof of insurance. His bond was set at $50,000, and he was released later the same day.
Authorities said Rangel’s young son was in the truck at the time of the stop. The child’s mother arrived at the scene to pick him up.
“This routine speeding case turned into much more,” said Sheriff Barry Faile in a news release.
“Our deputies are trained to be observant, and this deputy picked up on the smell of marijuana. That, coupled with Rangel’s surrender of a small bag of marijuana, gave the deputy probable cause to search the truck.”
Faile added that it was “baffling” that someone would speed while carrying that amount of illegal drugs, but he expressed relief that the marijuana was seized.
