Man arrested in Columbia County after traffic stop that leads to seizure of 30 kilos of cocaine

COLUMBIA COUNTY, Florida. – Thirty kilos of cocaine – with an estimated value of $4.5 million – were seized in a joint operation by officials from Columbia County and Lowndes County in the US state of Georgia.

Hector Villarreal, 37, of Pasadena, Texas, was arrested on human trafficking charges and could face decades in prison if convicted.

Federal investigators said the drugs were discovered during a traffic stop on Interstate 75 in Lake City near the intersection with Interstate 10.

Villarreal was stopped after officers said he was out of lane.

During a press conference, investigators said officers noticed several warning signs that led them to suspect he was dealing drugs.

“They noticed that his hands were visibly shaking and his chest was moving up and down so quickly that a deputy asked if it was a medical emergency. It was not,” said Roger Handberg, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida.

Investigators said there were further warning signs when Villarreal could no longer remember who he had rented his SUV from.

Investigators also said that after the trip, which was expected to take between 16 and 18 hours, Villareal told officers that he only planned to stay in Hains City for a few days.

“After Mr. Villarreal consented to a search warrant of his vehicle, three large and heavy boxes from Home Depot were found. The boxes were taped shut and smelled of Lysol. A can of Lysol was found under the passenger seat of the vehicle,” Handberg said.

Lysol is often used to mask the smell of illegal drugs.

“But it does not affect a drug-sniffing dog’s ability to find drugs. And that’s exactly what happened in this case,” Handberg said.

Columbia County Sheriff Mark Hunter said the county has “seized varying amounts over the years,” but this incident needs to be “highlighted.”

“Cocaine kills people. These are thousands of doses that were intercepted before they could be, as the sheriff said, broken up and distributed in all sorts of ways,” Handberg said.

Investigators said seizing large quantities of cocaine could not only prevent overdose deaths, but also help reduce gun violence on the streets.

“This is a valuable product. This is something that individuals want to protect and we have seen that in our cases. Armed drug trafficking is a top priority,” Handberg said.

Villarreal was already on probation in Texas for a conviction of illegal drug possession.

He is currently in prison on $10 million bail.