The service department of a car dealership in Portage County, Ohio discovered nearly 500 pounds of pot worth more than $1 million stashed in the spare tire compartments of 15 Ford Fusions.
Authorities found five more sedans at a rail station in Warren, Ohio, and another nine at dealerships in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Each Fusion contained about 14.5 kilograms — or 32 pounds — of marijuana that was tightly packed into half-moon shapes. The drugs are worth more than $1 million, according to Silverio Balzano, the resident agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's Youngstown, Ohio office.
"It's my belief the drugs were never intended to make it to the dealerships," he told. "Certainly the cartel wanted to unload them prior to that."
Balzano said the marijuana was a lower-grade type that typically comes from Mexico. Ford builds the Fusion and Lincoln MKZ in Hermosillo, Mexico. The vehicles made their way to Ohio by train after crossing the border through Arizona. In March, police in Dilworth, Minn., said they found 217 pounds of marijuana packaged the same way in seven vehicles.
The local authorities, dealerships and Ford were all cooperative. The investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made.
