On Friday, May 9th, 2014 at 1:36 p.m. a Pinal County Sheriff’s deputy was traveling southbound on Toltec Road from Battaglia Road in the unincorporated area of Eloy. The deputy observed a Buick passenger car stopped along the side of the roadway in front of a fifteen passenger van. The hood for the van was up and two Hispanic males were standing in front of it. The deputy then saw the two males run to the Buick and the vehicle then drove off.
The deputy attempted to catch up to the Buick but it fled at a high rate of speed.
The deputy stopped behind the van and observed that it was filled with packaged bundles of marijuana. The marijuana was seized and later it was determined to weigh 1,777 pounds with an estimated street value to $1,332,750.
An attempt to locate was broadcast for the Buick and a short time later a PCSO sergeant located the vehicle and stopped it westbound on Interstate-10. The driver of the Buick was identified as Raymundo Angulo-Lopez, age 35, of Mexico, and the passenger was identified as Jose Leon-Beltran, age 30, of Mexico. Both males were the two individuals the deputy originally saw standing by the van along the side of the roadway. Additionally, the ignition key for the van was found on the floorboard of the Buick.
Sheriff Paul Babeu stated, “Raymundo and Jose both admitted they were in the United States illegally from Mexico. Raymundo has been previously arrested for smuggling drugs and was deported from the United States in 2009. This 1.3 million dollar load of marijuana never made it to the distribution house before it was to be sent throughout the United States. What we really need is for real consequences for these criminals instead of a slap on their hand, which is interpreted as weakness and poses no risk for these repeat criminal illegals.”
Raymundo and Jose were both booked into the Pinal County Jail for Possession of Marijuana for Sale, Transportation of Marijuana for Sale, Possession of Marijuana and Conspiracy to Transport Marijuana.