On Monday, Aug. 29, 2011, agents of the second judicial drug task force met with agents of the United States Postal Inspection Service in reference to a package which was found to contain a large amount of suspected marijuana. A plan was devised to deliver the package. A search warrant was obtained to be executed when the package was delivered.
On the same date, agents attempted to deliver the package to the residence of 1067 Arnold Road, also known as South County Road 103, which is in the Etowah area. Agents were unable to make contact with the resident at that time.
On Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2011, agents again returned to the home in an effort to deliver the package. Agents drove to the residence and made contact with a male inside the residence. The male, later identified as Christopher Vasquez, accepted the package and returned to the residence with it. Upon seeing this, agents approached the home and executed the search warrant. Upon entering, agents encountered the defendant, an adult female and two small female children, both believed to be under the age of 5. All of the subjects were led into the living room, and a search of the home was performed. During the search, agents located the package which had been delivered, and an additional smaller baggie of suspected marijuana.
Vasquez was Mirandized and questioned about the marijuana. During questioning, agents were notified by the U.S. Postal Service that there was an additional package to be delivered to an address in Lepanto. When asked about that package, Vasquez allegedly said it was also for him, and he had intended to pick it up. The approximate total weight of both packages is estimated to be approximately 10 pounds of marijuana.
Vasquez was taken into custody and charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance with the purpose to deliver. He was set a $50,000 bond by Judge Gibson.
sharris@blythevillecourier.com