TRAFFIC STOP LEADS TO STATE'S LARGEST COCAINE BUST

ELK CITY - An Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper seized more than 800 pounds
of cocaine - the largest single amount of cocaine ever taken from one bust
in Oklahoma - found in a motor home Wednesday on Interstate 40.

The drugs have a wholesale value of $50 million and a street value of up to
$1 billion, authorities said.

The seizure, which almost doubles the amount of cocaine seized last year by
the patrol, began as a routine traffic stop on a stretch of I-40 about 35
miles east of the Texas border near Elk City in Beckham County, the patrol
said.

The trooper, part of a special drug operations unit, noticed the motor home
driving 53 mph, 17 mph lower than the posted speed limit, and weaving, the
patrol said.

"Upon making contact, the trooper said the driver and passenger gave
conflicting stories on their relationship and their destination," said
trooper Pete Norwood, a patrol spokesman.

The trooper then obtained consent to search the vehicle and to use a drug
dog, Norwood said.

"This time of the year is important for us because it's a harvest month for
marijuana," Norwood said. "So it's normal for our troopers to be traveling
with drug dogs."

The dog found 827 pounds of cocaine in parcels double-wrapped in plastic
and axle grease.

The driver and passenger are from California. They were taken to Elk City
for interrogation by agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration and
the FBI. They are expected to be booked into the Beckham County jail.

The names of the driver, passenger and arresting officer were not released.

No charges have been filed.

Norwood said the penalty for a drug trafficking conviction is 25 years in
prison.

Norwood called Interstates 35 and 40 major pipelines for drug traffic.

"Thirty-five goes up to Mexico and 40 goes to Arizona," he said. "There's a
lot of drugs out there and we do our best in getting them off. We were
successful this morning."

CONTRIBUTING: The Associated Press