Traffic was anything but routine early Tuesday on Interstate 35, when Selma police say K-9 Maverick zeroed in on more than 32 kilograms of cocaine hidden inside hollowed-out tractor batteries. Officers had pulled over a semi-truck hauling a trailer in the 16000 block of I-35, and noted that the driver appeared increasingly nervous and gave conflicting information during the stop, as reported by San Antonio Express-News.
According to the San Antonio Express-News, officers searched the cab and found four bundles wrapped in black trash bags. Inside each bundle was a tractor battery that had been hollowed out and packed with tightly wrapped packages. A field test of those packages reportedly identified the contents as more than 32 kilograms of cocaine, and police say the 38-year-old driver admitted he knew the drugs were in the truck.
Charges and legal exposure
Selma police said the driver was arrested on a charge of manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance in Penalty Group 1 and booked into the Guadalupe County jail. Under Texas law, cases involving 400 grams or more of a Penalty Group 1 drug can be treated as first-degree felonies, with potential sentences stretching over decades, according to the Texas Health and Safety Code.
Why I-35 matters
The I-35 corridor is a frequent path for large narcotics shipments, and local law enforcement agencies often lean on roadside inspections and K-9 units to catch loads on the move. Similar busts have been logged along this stretch, including a roughly 44-pound cocaine haul in New Braunfels last September, and broader enforcement efforts are cataloged on the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Operation Lone Star page.
Case status
Selma police say the investigation is still active as authorities continue processing the evidence and piecing together where the shipment was headed. As reported by the Express-News, the 38-year-old driver remains booked in the Guadalupe County jail and faces state charges tied to the alleged cocaine load.
