Abraham Garcia-Acosta (left) and Diego Diaz-Perez (right) were arrested on March 14, 2011, after allegedly trying to smuggle more than $5 million of marijuana in a load of carrots. (Credit: Cook County Sheriff’s Police)
CHICAGO (CBS) – Two Florida men were arrested earlier this week after allegedly trying to smuggle $5 million worth of marijuana by hiding it in a large shipment of carrots.
Abraham Garcia-Acosta, 44, of Loxahatchee, Fla., and Diego Diaz-Perez, 49, of West Palm Beach, Fla., both have been charged with possession of cannabis with intent to deliver and have been ordered held on $15,000 bond, Cook County Sheriff’s police said.
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Acting on a tip, Cook County Sheriff’s investigators conducted surveillance on the two men, following them to two hotels in Elk Grove Village.
On Monday, officers observed a black Isuzu engaged in suspicious activity at the Days Inn in Elk Grove Village, Asst. State’s Atty. Kilby Macfadden said in court Tuesday.
The officers followed the rental car to a Motel 6 in Elk Grove Village, where they saw Garcia-Acosta exit the semi and enter the Isuzu, Macfadden said. After a few minutes, he got back into the truck before he drove off.
A short time later, officers stopped Garcia-Acosta in Mount Prospect after he committed a traffic violation while driving a white semi-tractor trailer truck with a Florida registration. Garcia-Acosta and Diaz-Perez, his passenger, allegedly gave police conflicting stories about where they were going and what was being shipped in the truck.
Cook County Sheriff's Police found more than $5 million worth of marijuana hidden in a load of carrots being shipped in a semi-tractor trailer truck on March 14, 2011. (Credit: Cook County Sheriff's Police)
Sheriff’s police searched the truck and found 80 large plastic-wrapped bundles containing 1,173 pounds of marijuana, police said. A load of carrots was being used to conceal the drugs.
The drugs have an estimated street value of approximately $5,325,000, police said.
Garcia-Acosta and Diaz-Perez were arrested and, on Tuesday, bond was set at $15,000 for both men. They were due back in court on April 8, police said.
The driver of the Isuzu was not charged.
(The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.)
