SUBMITTED REPORT

A routine traffic stop on I-35 in San Marcos Thursday afternoon resulted in the arrest of a 25-year old Laredo man and the confiscation of eight pounds of heroin with a street value of more than $360,000.

Mario Rodriguez

Mario Rodriguez, 25, of Laredo was charged with possession of a controlled substance of over 400 grams with intent to deliver, a felony punishable by life imprisonment or for a term of not more than 99 years or less than 15 years, and a fine not to exceed $250,000.

San Marcos police officer Jeremy Bolin stopped a 2006 Ford Mustang traveling northbound on I-35 driven by Rodriguez around 5:40 p.m. Thursday for several traffic violations, including following too closely, no front license plate and an illegal window tint.

During the stop, Bolin also found that the suspect was driving with a suspended license and arrested him.

San Marcos police officers Brian Beach and Tim Saavedra arrived to assist in impounding the vehicle, a standard procedure when a driver is arrested. As the officers inventoried the contents of the vehicle, also standard procedure, they discovered approximately eight pounds of black tar heroin hidden in a cardboard box in the backseat.

Sgt. Wade Parham, Commander of the Hays County Narcotics Task Force, said that he is uncertain of Rodriguez’s ultimate destination and doesn’t know if Rodriguez was planning on delivering the drugs locally or was going to continue to smuggle them to somewhere farther north. 

“In any event, the seizure of that amount of heroin, which has a street value of over $360,000, is a significant blow to the drug traffickers,” Parham said.

Rodriguez was jailed at the Hays County Law Enforcement Center where he remains under $252,500 bond for the felony and driving with a suspended license.