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Authorities display bundles of cocaine that were seized from 10 duffel bags during a bust Aug. 10 on Interstate 15.
By Aida Ahmed 
Published Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2011 | 11:10 a.m.
Updated Friday, Aug. 12, 2011 | 1:29 p.m.
Gaston Danjou
News Conference
Officials from the Southern Nevada Interdiction Task Force stopped a semi-trailer truck on Interstate 15 Wednesday morning carrying 452 pounds of cocaine, making it one of the largest cocaine seizures in Nevada history.
Members of the Southern Nevada Interdiction Task Force stopped the northbound semitruck about 12:30 a.m. at the Jean exit after noticing it was being driven erratically, Metro Police spokesman Lt. Laz Chavez said. The truck had a Quebec, Canada, license plate and was drifting in and out of travel lanes, according to an arrest report released Wednesday.
Officials interviewed the driver, Gaston Danjou, outside the semitruck and he provided them with driver log information, but authorities noticed inconsistencies during their interview with him.
"While speaking with Danjou, I observed that he appeared to be more nervous than any normal person would be if they were being contacted by a police officer for a traffic violation," police wrote in an arrest report.
Danjou gave officials consent to search the truck, which yielded cocaine with a street value estimated at $16.4 million, officials said. A police dog detected the odor of narcotics and a detective found the cocaine in 10 duffel bags wrapped in several "bricks" in the truck's sleeper area.
Danjou was cooperative with officials during the process and was taken into custody.
He was booked into the Clark County Detention Center without bail in connection with possession of cocaine, trafficking cocaine and transporting a controlled substance.
Chavez said the truck had left the central valley of California and was en route to the Midwest.
"This is a perfect example of the collaborative efforts between the state and federal authorities to battle the drug trafficking that keeps coming into our state," Chavez said.
Law enforcement officials previously stated the cocaine bust was the largest in the state’s history, however, Metro Police spokesman Bill Cassell said there was at least one other drug seizure that topped this one. The largest seizure, more than 800 pounds, was recovered on a bust in 1993.
“It’s the largest cocaine seizure since the inception of the task force,” Cassell said of this week's bust.
The task force includes officers and agents from Metro, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Henderson Police, North Las Vegas Police, Boulder City Police and the Nevada Highway Patrol.
Chavez said the task force patrols the highway seven days a week.
"I-15 is definitely a corridor that is utilized very frequently by drug trafficking organizations," Chavez said. "I-15 takes you from the West Coast to the East Coast."
Good work!
If you look at what the DEA has done in the last 12-24 months - It's impressive! DEA Caught Victor Bout(Merchant of Death) in Thailand plus countless Mexican "El-Jefe" type drug traffickers...and now this.
In contrast, we have the ATF (and some eyes open participation by the Phoenix FBI) running guns into Mexico.
You can't make this stuff up!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcnwQj58l...
Looks like the price of the upcomming weekend for the "legalize it and tax it for the kids" has gone up a few bucks a gram... assuming that they can still score some 'happy dust'!
Score one for meff dealers.
Great Job!!!
However, I would like to know how "I-15 takes you from the West Coast to the East Coast" since it primarily goes North-South and does not touch a "coast"
How is the 'street value' determined?
People will turn to meth, a more dangerous drug, so it is not a "victory."
Thats enough cocaine to keep the polititions in Washington D.C. happy for at least two weeks
I would love to know how much this driver was making for transporting this load? If there is an admission, I hope we have a follow up.
By looking at his picture, I think he was probally high on his own supply, or whoever his bosses were up in Canada. He was going to Canada with that load I bet. Is he a US Citizen?
I note the Governor came out of the woodwork to make a self-congratulatory statement. I thought he was in Afghanistan? I'm sure there are far more drugs pushed by Karzai and his crowd in Afghanistan Brian.
Time to end the drug war and the war in Afghanistan. Sandoval is trying to make a name for himself. Who cares is a bunch of Canadians, or anyone else does drugs? or drinks booze, or gambles.
I agree with vegas-bred. Last drug bust with some people of color this whole place blows up with racial hatred, but a white man does it and not a peep.
Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan are MAD!
What was Bill Engvil doing driving that truck?
This was a gift to law enforcement. If the war on drugs ended, so would the profits. The cops get one, the crooks get 1000.
I am interested in knowing WHY my comment was deleted? All I asked was where were all the hate filled comments from the bigots?!It seems people are not allowed to speak their mind on here unless its against a certain race or breed.This guy will definately receive a long sentence in prison.
Good Work Metro!!!