Illinois State Police seize over 5,000 pounds of illegal cannabis

By Lisa Chasanov, Managing Editor for Reporting • September 22, 2023

5,231 pounds of illegal cannabis seized on Wednesday evening.

29-year-old Robert Mazo and 33-year-old Pedro Arreola were arrested by the Illinois State Police Wednesday evening for cannabis trafficking and unlawful possession of approximately 5,231 pounds of cannabis on Interstate 80 in Henry County, according to a statement from the ISP.

During a routine stop by the ISP, officers utilized a canine to identify the odor of narcotics. During the resulting search, numerous packages of cannabis were found in the vehicle.

“This seizure is one of the largest in ISP history and has an estimated value of between $6.3 and $14.7 million dollars,” the statement said.

Mazo and Arreola were taken into custody and transported to the Henry County jail that evening. The Henry County State’s Attorney’s Office filed petitions to detain each subject and hearings were held on Thursday.

In the hearings, a Henry County judge released the subjects on pretrial conditions. No further information is available at this time.

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According to the release, “the investigation continues with the potential for additional charges pending.” All subjects are assumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, the statement said.

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About the Contributor

Lisa Chasanov, Managing Editor for Reporting

Howdy! My name is Lisa, my game is delivering quality news to your phone screen, coffee table and recycling bin. Since fall 2022, I have had the honor of writing, editing and often-unsuccessfully pitching content for The Daily Illini. During my time at the 152-year-old news source, I have served as a reporter at our news desk, summer editor and assistant news editor. Most recently, after a rewarding year of bringing you hard-hitting stories such as “Uncut: Dissecting Circumcision” and “‘Surf’s Up’ could be the film of the summer,” I have taken over as managing editor for reporting. In my free time, you can find me performing open heart surgery in dark alleys, communicating telepathically with small woodland creatures and engaging in otherwise dubious activities. If you would like to summon me for any reason, you can find me at [email protected]. Good Yard. Stay tuned for more.