Nebraska troopers seize record $50M drug load from semi on Interstate 80

Nebraska troopers seized nearly 20,000 pounds of drugs worth more than $50 million during a Friday, Sept. 4 traffic stop. The discovery followed a commercial vehicle inspection along Interstate 80 in Dawson County. Officers found marijuana, THC products and psilocybin products across 27 pallets.

State officials called it the agency’s largest drug interdiction by volume. The Nebraska State Patrol announced the record seizure Monday, Sept. 14. The incident began around 8 a. m. near mile marker 228. A trooper stopped the semi and conducted a commercial vehicle inspection. During that review, the officer detected an odor of marijuana.

Nebraska State Patrol photos show pallets from the nearly 20,000-pound drug shipment found inside the semi-trailer. (Photo: Nebraska State Patrol) Troopers uncover 27 pallets Inside the trailer, authorities discovered approximately 5,200 pounds of marijuana. Another 13,600 pounds consisted of THC products.

Psilocybin merchandise accounted for the remaining 1,000 pounds. Those amounts produced a combined weight of roughly 19,800 pounds. Troopers found packaged psilocybin gummies and chocolate bars among the 27 pallets inside the semi-trailer. (Photos: Nebraska State Patrol) NSP estimated the shipment’s street value at more than $50 million.

The agency based its record determination on volume rather than estimated worth. Officials did not provide separate values for each substance. Released photographs showed boxes and wrapped pallets inside a warehouse. Virginia driver faces charges Troopers arrested William Gomez, 44, of Virginia.

The listed offenses include controlled substance possession and possession with intent to deliver. Officers lodged Gomez in the Dawson County Jail. Investigators have not disclosed the shipment’s origin or intended destination. Officials also did not identify the motor carrier, truck owner or declared cargo.

The Nebraska State Patrol told FreightWaves that the case remains ongoing. NSP could not release additional details at this time. Why it matters The seizure shows how traffickers can use commercial trucks to move enormous drug shipments through ordinary freight corridors.

Motor carriers should recognize how criminal organizations may exploit drivers, equipment and legitimate transportation networks. Click here for more articles on cargo theft and freight fraud by Phil Brink. Feds: Cargo thief gets over 10 years in $1.

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