Large Quantity of Pot Recovered in Traffic Stop

A large quantity of marijuana was recovered by law enforcement authorities in a traffic stop early Wednesday morning.

Just after 1am, an Effingham County sheriff's deputy made a traffic stop on a 2017 Land Rover that was traveling eastbound on US 40 coming into Effingham. The vehicle was a rental vehicle and the driver appeared very nervous and confused.

(ALYSON RODRIGUEZ)

An Effingham County sheriff's K-9 was called to the scene and performed a free air sniff of the Land Rover. The K-9 indicated a positive response to the odor of narcotics in the vehicle. A subsequent search revealed approximately 60 pounds of cannabis in the trunk, as well as a small amount of cocaine and a plastic straw testing positive for cocaine in the driver's purse.

The driver, 40-year-old Alyson Victoria Rodriguez of Odenton, Maryland, the only person in the vehicle, was taken to the Effingham County Sheriff's Office where she is being held awaiting a bond hearing. Rodriguez is being held on counts of possession of more than 5,000 grams of cannabis, cannabis trafficking, manufacture and delivery of cannabis, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of a controlled substance, that being the cocaine.

The Effingham County Sheriff's Office was assisted by the Illinois State Police and the Altamont Police Department.

Sheriff David Mahon stated he was very pleased with the efforts of his department and the K-9 unit. Mahon went on to praise the combined work of the state police, Altamont police and the Effingham County Sheriff's Department to help stop the flow of illegal narcotics into the community.