Five Texans arrested on drug charges

By Erik Sanzenbach
St. Tammany News
Published on Monday, June 1, 2009 9:34 AM CDT

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Five Texas residents got a surprising welcome to the parish last Friday evening when they were all arrested for allegedly transporting and possessing 50 pounds of marijuana.

St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office spokesman Capt. George Bonnett said narcotics officers with the Sheriff’s Office and Drug Enforcement Agency had developed a case against the five suspects and set up a transaction for the marijuana at a shopping center parking lot in Covington at the intersection of Louisiana Highway 21 and Interstate 12.

The suspects arrived at the parking lot around 6 p.m. thinking they were going to make a sale. While talking to the suspects, narcotics agents noticed a large black plastic bag in the backseat of the suspects’ car. Deputies then called in a K-9 unit dog named Aron, who sniffed out the drugs in the car.

The 50 pounds of marijuana seized last Friday by the St. Tammany Sheriff's Office and the Drug Enforcement Agency.

Deputies got a search warrant for the car, and when they opened the bag they found 50 pounds of marijuana.

Arrested and each charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia were Alejandro Hernandez, 32, Mission, Texas; Noe Pena, 31, Houston; Yolanda Alaniz, 30, Houston; Reynaldo Duran, 31, Mission, Texas and Shane Scallan, 40, Houston.

Bonnett said they are all in the St. Tammany Parish Jail, and each of them has a $200,000 bond.

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