WEST MONROE, La. — Workers who were cleaning out a railroad freight car at a West Monroe plant found an unusual stowaway — 2,260 pounds of marijuana wrapped in burlap cloth, the Shreveport Times reported.
The Metro Narcotics Unit is working with the FBI and U.S. Customs Service to attempt to track down the source of $3.4 million worth of drugs.
“(The shipment) came in from Mexico, and we believe they were supposed to unload it somewhere in South Texas,” said Lt. Hank Smith, director of Metro Narcotics. “For some reason, they missed it.”
Agents with Metro Narcotics were called in about noon Monday and stumbled onto one of the largest drug confiscations in Ouachita Parish. Prior to the call from the cleaning crew at Riverwood International, the agents had no idea of the nature of the car’s cargo.
“There was no police work involved in this,” Smith said.
The railroad car – the owner of which was not disclosed – had traveled to Mexico City filled with cotton and was supposed to return empty, he said. The car crossed the border Friday before arriving in Ouachita on Sunday. Smith did not believe Ouachita was meant to be the final destination for the drugs.
Agents took samples of the marijuana and destroyed the rest, Smith said.