Five Men Arrested in Hamblen County with Over 500 Pounds of Marijuana

Johnson City Press — September 2, 2011

On September 1, 2011, a multi-agency traffic stop in Hamblen County, Tennessee, resulted in the seizure of more than 500 pounds of marijuana (estimated street value over $250,000) and $110,000 in cash.

Arrested were:

• Leobard Benitez-Zunica, 29
• Angel Israel Cruz-Montes, 24
• Adrian Leonide-Artenga, 29
• Ignacio Gregorio Moreno-Serrano, 30
• Jesus Pantojas Mulero, 22

All five were from the Asheville, North Carolina area and were held in the Hamblen County jail pending federal charges.

The stop was conducted jointly by Hamblen County Sheriff’s Office, Johnson City Police Department, Elizabethton Police Department, Tennessee Highway Patrol, and federal drug agents.

Sheriff Esco Jarnigan confirmed the significant size of the seizure and its connection to ongoing drug trafficking investigations in the region.

Source: Johnson City Press, September 2, 2011