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$1 Million Worth of Marijuana Discovered Inside 15 Mexican-Built Cars Shipped to Ohio

Roughly 30 pounds of pot were found in the spare-tire compartments of each car

Employees at a Ford dealership in Ohio discovered more than 400 pounds of marijuana hidden inside cars shipped from Mexico earlier this month, authorities said.

A drug task force was called to the Ford dealership in Portage County on July 7 after a service department employee discovered roughly 30 pounds of pressed marijuana in the spare tire compartment of a Ford Fusion during a vehicle inspection, said Silverio Balzano, a special agent for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The marijuana was concealed in half-moon shaped package.

Investigators found more marijuana blocks in at least 14 other vehicles at Ohio dealerships. In total, authorities seized 400 pounds of pot valued at $1 million.

All the cars were shipped from Hermosillo, Mexico, to a CSX rail yard in Lordstown, Ohio. The vehicles involved were mostly Ford Fusions as well as one Lincoln MKZ, according to the DEA.

In a statement, Ford denied that the drugs were placed in cars from inside the Mexico plant and said it was working with the FBI and customs on an "extensive investigation," the Vindicator newspaper reported. 

In March, police in Dilworth, Minnesota, also discovered drugs packed in cars at an auto yard. According to a release posted on the department's Facebook page, police recovered 14 packages of marijuana totaling about 217 pounds from seven vehicles at the Dilworth Auto yard.

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