2 TROOPERS SCORE 2ND BIG COKE BUST

RUSKIN - Florida Highway Patrol troopers Jorge Santamaria and
Steven Varnell usually are under the blue lights in your rearview
mirror when you're going 85 mph on the interstate. But the two have
another distinction: They have seized more cocaine this past year
than most narcotics agents do in a lifetime.

Sunday, Santamaria and Varnell pulled over a driver on Interstate 75
just north of Manatee County when they say he failed to drive in a
single lane. They ended up confiscating $9 million worth of cocaine.

There were 458 packages containing 533 kilos of cocaine, or 1,173
pounds, in the cargo area of a van, they said.

In November, Santamaria and Varnell made a similar bust, seizing 152
kilos packaged in small amounts that, if sold as packaged, had a
street value of $12 million, authorities said.

It's just the luck of the draw that Santamaria and Varnell have made
two of the larger roadside busts in the area this past year, Florida
Highway Patrol Lt. David Apgar said Sunday night. That and the fact
they are two sharp troopers.

"Sometimes you get a feeling that you've got more than a traffic
stop," Apgar said. "Sometimes, when you make a stop and you start
talking to the people, you can tell you've got more than just a
traffic warning.''

Sunday's arrest came at 1 p.m. Santamaria and Varnell pulled over a
rented 1997 Ford van heading south on I-75. Their reason: failing to
drive within a single lane.

During the traffic stop, Santamaria and Varnell became suspicious
because the driver behaved nervously and gave conflicting stories,
patrol Lt. Miguel Guzman said. At one point, the troopers believed the
man was going to faint.

A narcotics-sniffing dog named Zoro was called to the scene and
indicated the 458 neatly packaged squares stacked in the cargo area of
the van were cocaine, Guzman said.

Eduardo Triana, 26, of 3121 S.W. 68th Ave., Miami, was charged with
trafficking in cocaine, possession of cocaine with intent to
distribute, possession of cocaine and failing to maintain a single
lane. Bail was set at $150,000.

Troopers said Triana loaded the cocaine in Tampa and was driving it to
Miami.

On Nov. 7, the pair busted two Miami men on charges of transporting
150 kilos of cocaine south on I-75 near Peace River.

The suspects were driving a rented box truck down I-75 and failed to
stop at a roadside weigh station just before Santamaria and Varnell
pulled them over.

When the troopers noted the driver's license was suspended, he told
them he was a private detective and had two handguns in the truck.

As Santamaria secured the handguns, he noticed three duffel bags in
the back. Rodriguez said they contained ceramic statues.

After getting permission to search the bags, Santamaria discovered 150
neatly taped bricks of the hardened powder. Both men were charged with
trafficking in cocaine, possession with intent to distribute,
conspiring to traffic cocaine and armed trafficking.

"It happens day in and day out,'' Santamaria said at the time. "It's a
numbers game. The more we get out there and do traffic stops, the more
often we'll find this. More often than not, it gets through
undetected.''

Over the past three years, troopers making routine traffic stops have
stumbled onto some fairly big shipments of cocaine:

- -- In February 1996, a 28-year-old Stuart man was charged with
trafficking in cocaine after he was stopped by troopers near
Frostproof because of a defective tag light. The stop yielded $65,000
worth of cocaine.

A drug-sniffing dog was brought in and troopers seized 6 pounds of

powder cocaine and 33 grams of rock cocaine. The drugs were wrapped in
scented fabric softener sheets, which were intended to confuse trained
dogs.

- -- In November 1995, a Leesburg woman and a passenger were arrested
after troopers discovered 2 1/2 pounds of crack cocaine in her purse.
She had been stopped in Polk County for routine traffic violations.
The 1,390 grams of crack cocaine had an estimated value of $136,200.

- -- In July 1995, two Virginia women and a Maryland man were charged
with possession of 20 kilos of cocaine in their minivan.

Troopers patrolling near Haines City noticed a minivan speeding and
chased the van for about a mile before it stopped.

A dog was brought to the scene and found a hidden compartment under
the front passenger seat, containing the cocaine.

All three were charged with trafficking in cocaine and possession of
cocaine.

As for Santamaria and Varnell, well, they can expect commendations,
Guzman said.

Checked-by: Rich O'Grady