YORK, Nebraska (KOLN) – A California man who had an outstanding arrest warrant was taken into custody Friday after a Nebraska State Patrol officer found 92 pounds of marijuana during a traffic stop.

A trooper stopped 31-year-old Raul Cortez Barrera on I-80 east of York around 1:15 p.m. after he allegedly sped at 80 mph. Cortez Barrera stopped on the exit ramp and the trooper approached the vehicle.

According to the affidavit, Officer Cortez asked Barrera to sit in the passenger seat of the patrol car while he conducted a check of his driver’s license and criminal history, which revealed that he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest in Texas for possession of 50 to 2,000 pounds of marijuana, which carries extradition charges.

The officer asked Cortez Barrera where he was going and he replied that he was going to Omaha to visit his uncle, the affidavit states.

When questioned about his warrant, the officer said Cortez’s eyes began to water and he fell silent. Cortez Barrera said he knew about the warrant and that he had marijuana in his vehicle, the affidavit states.

The officer searched the vehicle for suspicion and found two suitcases and a duffel bag containing 79 heat-sealed bags full of marijuana, the affidavit states. In total, the officer found 92 pounds of marijuana.

The police officer did not notice any tax stamps for Nebraska drugs on the packages, the affidavit states.

Cortez Barrera was charged and arraigned in York County on charges of possession of more than one pound of marijuana, delivery of a controlled substance and failure to have a drug tax stamp. He was also arraigned on his warrant and received a citation for speeding.

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