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Last updated on Monday, November 2, 2015
(INDIANAPOLIS) - On Friday, shortly after 4 p.m. 47-year-old Salvador Tafoya-Bravo of Las Vegas, Nevada was arrested for the alleged possession and dealing of an estimated 20 kilos of suspected cocaine.
The arrest occurred after Tafoya-Bravo was stopped for a routine roadside commercial vehicle safety check while driving a Silver 2012 Kenworth tractor on eastbound I-70 near the Marion / Hancock County line.
Commercial vehicles are subject to random safety checks at any time. During this particular safety inspection the inspecting trooper noted signs consistent with potential criminal activity. This resulted in an Indiana State Police K-9 being called to the scene of the stop. The K-9 indicated the presence of illegal narcotics and a subsequent search located the kilos of suspected cocaine.
Further investigation determined there was a legitimate cargo of household consumer products and shoes aboard the trailer. The shipment originated in California and was destined for a location in Ohio. At this time there is no indication that the household goods and shoes are connected to the discovery of the drugs.
The wholesale value of the suspected cocaine ranges from 32 to 40 thousand dollars per kilo. So the value of this seizure was between $640,000 to $800,000. Had the suspected cocaine been diluted, or "cut" and packaged for sale, the street value would have been in the $2 million dollar range.
This arrest and others are part of Governor Pence's Task Force, announced in September, on Drug Enforcement, Treatment and Prevention. As part of the drug enforcement component of the task force Indiana State Police officers are receiving additional training on indicators of possible drug trafficking.
Upon learning of this latest arrest, Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter said, "As a society, we continue to encourage those with a drug use problem to seek treatment for their addiction." Carter continued, "But for those who are peddling these drugs in Indiana and other states; we are looking for you, we are finding you and we are arresting you, and with aggressive prosecution you are going to prison for a very, very long time".
Agents from the Federal Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) assisted the Indiana State Police with this investigation.
Tafoya-Bravo was transported to the Marion County arrestee processing center, where he remains in custody. At the time of this release being published, bond was not known.
Media Note: First image is of the arrested, Salvador Tafoya-Bravo and the second image is of the suspected 20 kilos of cocaine.
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