GULFPORT -- A Tampa, Fla., man was held on $175,000 bond, accused of traveling through Harrison County with 32 pounds of hydroponic marijuana packaged for distribution.
Sheriff's deputies assigned to criminal interdiction patrol arrested Juan Carlos Aguilera-Diaz, 46, after a traffic stop Wednesday night on Interstate 10 near Menge Avenue.
Marijuana grown indoors in water continues to be a concern among law enforcement agencies. The hydroponic variety is in strong demand due to its higher potency, according to the DEA. It also sells at a higher price than Mexican marijuana.
Sheriff Melvin Brisolara said the hydroponic type has an estimated street value of $3,000 to $5,000 a pound, or $96,000 to $160,000 for the amount seized from the vehicle.
Officers stopped Aguilera-Diaz around 7 p.m. Wednesday. They charged him with possession with intent to deliver.
Aguilera-Diaz was booked in at the Harrison County jail early Thursday. His bond was set by Justice Court Judge Gene Dedeaux.
Sheriff's Maj. Tony Sauro, one of the arresting officers, said the marijuana will be sent to the state Crime Lab for testing.
Sauro said marijuana typically seized in traffic stops is packaged in "bricks."
"It's hard as a brick, packed with a lot of stems and seeds. This has buds the size of your thumb, indicative of hydroponic marijuana, which has a high THC content and is four to five times stronger than marijuana from Mexico."
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