10 to 20 years. >> No, I don't need that. I'm a good kid. I'm just trying to make a little money on the side. >> This man just got busted trying to traffic narcotics from California to Washington D.C. A crime that could get him 20 years in prison. Let's find out what happens next. >> you're smuggling marijuana. >> Yeah. >> Okay. I know the back of that van right there is full of marijuana. All those bags right there. >> Yeah. >> It smells It's strong. >> Mhm. >> You've been doing this for a while. >> Yeah, I'm aware. I'm very aware. >> Okay. How much marijuana do you have? >> It's probably about I don't know exactly, but I know it's over 100 lbs. >> Over 100 lbs? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Do you give me consent to search your vehicle? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Driver advised that he has over 100 lbs of marijuana in his vehicle. Just for 49. I'll be out with this vehicle. Here's your stuff. Here's your license, okay. This is a written warning for failure to maintain or for Yeah, for failure to maintain lane, okay. You need to watch the road, okay? >> Yeah. >> Stand right here for me. We'll get this done and we'll we'll deal with that situation, okay? >> Okay. >> Sir, you're actually going to be detained, okay? >> Yeah. >> I'm just going to read you this, okay. You have the right to remain silent. Anything 6. Do you understand your rights to remain silent, too? >> Yes, sir. >> Do you understand your rights? Do you wish to talk to me? >> Uh is there a way I can't be detained? >> What's that? >> Is there a way I cannot be detained? >> Well, there's over 100 lbs of marijuana in the vehicle, okay. So, just answer this question for me. Do you understand your rights? >> Yeah. >> Do you understand your rights? Do you wish to talk to me? >> That was like >> Just yes or no. Do you want to talk to me about the situation? Okay. So, where are you coming from, man? >> I'm coming from California. >> California, okay. And are you just a driver or are you Did you pick up this marijuana for someone else? Are you Are you getting paid for it? >> No, I'm just a driver. >> Just a driver, okay. Who you Who you working for? >> Uh the guy on this on this paper right here. >> You know him on that paper right there? How much you getting paid to to haul this marijuana? >> Uh it's like 55 lbs, like maybe like 70,000. >> 70,000? Okay. So, you're picking it up from Cali and where you taking it? >> I'm taking it to what you call it? >> Washington D.C. >> Washington. >> Okay. All right. So, you're getting paid to So, you're basically you're the mule. That's what you're doing, okay. How long have you been working for this drug trade organization? >> Not too long. About 2 months. >> 2 months? Is it a big organization? >> Uh no, no, it's not. It's just small. Yeah. >> Okay. All right, man. So, what I'm going to do is I'm going to I'm going to get out. I have to put cuffs on you, okay? I'm going to put cuffs on you. I'm going to have you stand sit right there on that brick for me, okay? Then I'll start search the vehicle and then we'll go from from there whatever I locate, okay? >> Okay. >> Going to come around my vehicle right here. Yeah, get out and come to the front right here. I'm just going to put them in the front, okay? You've been super cooperative with me, all right? >> Okay, cool. >> 10-4, Region. I have one male subject detained at this time. I'm going to be searching the vehicle. Just have a seat right there for me, okay? Are you traveling with anybody else? Is anybody else following you? Are you by your So, you state the marijuana's not yours, correct? You're just transporting this, okay? Like I explained, I'm a federal task force officer through HSI, okay? The amount you have here does it meet the threshold for me to charge you right now, okay? I'm going to get all your information, document everything, and I'll forward it over to an agent, okay? I'm going to have you fill out this abandonment form. By you stating the marijuana's not yours, you're abandoning the marijuana, okay? >> Okay. >> I'll fill this out. I'll email you a copy so you can take it to your boss and show him like I got stopped by the police, they seized my marijuana. So, they know it that you didn't you know >> Yeah, I didn't do away with it. >> You you didn't do away with it. You know what I mean? Um >> The whole nine. >> Right, right. Go ahead and do Code 4, Region. I'm code four. I did locate a large amount of marijuana in this vehicle. Several large duffel bags. >> So, this is his boss. He's getting paid $78,000 to transport this from California to Washington. Uh this is the guy he's working for. Picked it up in Cali. Driving it back. He said it's over 100 lb. Going to put your name here, signature, date, your current address, then I'll sign the bottom, okay? >> Is your boss going to be mad at you? >> I bet. >> Is he a big old drug dealer or what? >> Uh not not too big. >> Sign right here. >> I probably will be mad at you. >> So, how many guys are involved in this uh drug trade organization? >> I'm not too sure. I've only dealt with >> Take this. >> I've only dealt with like three or four people, so I dealt with a guy named Sergio. And that was the guy. That was it. And that was >> What'd you pay for that? >> [ __ ] I don't That's not mine. I'm just transporting. >> Was it already paid for? >> I believe so. Like I said, I don't know those details. I'm just the guy that takes it for them. >> So, what did What did they tell you? >> They just told me to take it to DC. Well, not necessarily DC, but like Hagerstown. >> So, from the From the very beginning, what did they tell you? How did the instructions go? >> At the beginning, I thought I was, you know what I'm saying, carrying whatchamacallit. They told me it was like some restaurant supplies at first, but you know, after a while, I kind of picked up what was going on. And they kind of just told me what it is. They get it from their growers in California. I meet them up somewhere like at a hotel or warehouse or something like that. I just come pick it up. Take it where it needs to go. No, I picked it up from a hotel. >> From a hotel? >> Yeah, like a motel like a uh Motel 6 over there in Ontario. >> Did you drop the Did you drop the van off and they they picked it up or >> brought They They rented out the van. >> Is it all the way across the country? >> No, it's just a half kilo. >> Is he going to bite me? >> No, you're good. So, you So, you went to a hotel? >> Yeah. >> You went to a hotel and then did you meet the guys or did did they uh >> They already had it on them. They they went to their growers. I never met the initial grower. >> So so you drove this van from >> Yeah. >> Washington to Cali? >> No, from Cali and we headed towards Washington. >> So did you fly into Cali? >> Yeah, I flew into Cali. I flew into >> When did you fly into Cali? >> On Sunday. >> On Sunday? >> Yeah. >> So they already had the van ready to go for you? >> do all the logistics part and I just pick them up pick it up, take it wherever and take it to where it needs to go. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Also, let me get a good phone number for you. Is that a good number for you? >> Yeah, that's my cell phone. >> Okay. How much do you think all that's worth? >> I don't know. I don't know. Probably 100k. >> 100k? It's a lot of money. You have 100k? >> Hell, no. >> No? How much This your first trip or how many times have you made this trip? >> This is like 6,000. So I'm really not really worth it as you can tell. >> Is it all weed or is there >> Yeah, it's just all weed. >> coke and [ __ ] in there? >> No, it's all weed for sure. >> My suggestion to you is not to smuggle marijuana anymore cuz you're not very good at it. >> Yeah, I'm not. I [laughter] can't I haven't been here like >> Well, you're not getting sent to the jail to get the scale. >> No. >> What will the What will the HSI do with him? What the feds do with him? >> You know what that amount is in fits weight, right? Them down the weed you have? >> How much? How much? >> 10 to 20 years. >> No, I don't need that. I'm a good kid. I'm just trying to make a little money on the side. I'm a drug dealer. >> They can give you 10 to 20 years. >> No, sir. >> How old are you? >> I'm only 25. >> You got kids? >> No, I do not. >> I'm old. I guess you can have kids when you're 35. >> No, I I might have a little smart >> Don't call him by that. You know when you're in jail you Well, or you're going to pack some fudge. >> No, none of that. I I'm not I'm I don't know what to >> You've been arrested before? >> Uh yeah, one time. >> For? >> Uh what's it called? PI in Texas. >> PI in Texas? What's PI? >> Public intoxication. >> No felonies? >> No, I have no felonies. >> Why would the looking to getting a different >> you driving trucks? >> I know, bro. That's why I'm I feel so stupid right You guys just made me realize how stupid I am. >> Well, you said it, I did it. >> Well, I mean it. What I say, I mean. >> So, how are how are your bosses? Are they pretty linked up in some bad [ __ ] or is it just >> I don't know that deep. Honestly, to be honest, I don't know if it's that deep. I've only dealt with marijuana. >> Do you have your boss's phone number? >> Uh yeah. >> Let me get that from you. >> Are you a Mexican guy? >> The old man that's only 25 years old who was caught in Cibola County, New Mexico. Unfortunately, we don't have information on his charges, booking, or bond amount, and there's a very specific reason for that. The officer that pulled him over worked directly with the federal drug task force. So, the case was immediately routed to federal prosecutors. Federal prosecutors have a very strict 1,000 lb threshold for drug trafficking charges. Since this man was only carrying 468 lb, the feds declined to prosecute, and the suspect was released on the scene. If a regular deputy without task force ties tried to make this stop, the suspect would have been taken to jail and face state charges. But, because it went through the federal task force pipeline, the feds declined it, and the whole case hit a dead end. It's the ultimate too big for local police, too small for feds situation. This unusual loophole made 468 lb the luckiest weight this driver could have possibly been carrying. >> in Illinois near Arsenal Bridge. He was charged with DUI, driving under the influence, a class A misdemeanor, operating a vehicle without headlights, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, and obstruction of justice, which is a class 4 felony. We currently have no information of where he was taken into custody, what his bond amount was, or if he was ever caught during the police chase. But, we do know that over a year later, on June 4th, 2021, Christopher entered into a plea agreement where he was found guilty of the felony obstruction of justice charge, but all other charges were dismissed. He did not serve any jail time.