400 pounds of pot seized by police

One man remains in police custody while another is in the custody of a federal agency following a massive seizure of drugs during a traffic stop on I-55 last week.

Aaron Paul Abernathy, 42, of Flora was arrested and charged with trafficking of a controlled substance. Abernathy also received a traffic violation for an expired license plate, the initial reason for the traffic stop. 

Abernathy received bond in the amount of $100,000. Abernathy also has $400 in bond on the expired tag charge. Jail records say he remains in the Madison County Detention Center.

Another man, Esteban Molina-Torres, 43, of Spokane, Washington was arrested and charged with drug trafficking as well. He also received bond in the amount of $100,000.

Madison County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Heath Hall said that Molina-Torres also has a hold from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Hall said that he was able to post bond but is currently in ICE custody.

Hall said that on August 4, Madison County Deputies conducted a traffic stop on a pickup pulling a travel trailer with an expired tag at mile marker 119 southbound on Interstate 55.  Deputies interviewed Abernathy who was driving the vehicle. During the interview, deputies became suspicious of Abernathy and his passenger who was identified as Molina-Torres.

“Deputies asked for and received consent to search and a K-9 alerted to the presence of narcotics,” Hall said. “The vehicle and passengers were taken to the Madison County Sheriff’s Office to get passengers and deputies off the interstate and out of harm’s way so that a more thorough search could be conducted.”  

During the search, deputies located approximately 400 pounds of marijuana concealed in a false compartment of the travel trailer and both subjects were then placed under arrest for trafficking a controlled substance.