A man from Mexico is being held on a $500,000 bond after he was caught with over three pounds of marijuana during a traffic stop in Hainesville, police said.
Jose Avila-Zumadio, 32, of Guadalajara, Mexico, was stopped by Round Lake Park police for a traffic violation on Saturday at around 4:15 p.m. in the area of Route 134 and Fairlawn Drive near Hainesville. Avila-Zumadio was arrested for not having a valid drivers license.
Authorities said that during an inventory check of Avila-Zumadio’s vehicle, officers found 3.25 pounds of marijuana. The street value of the marijuana is approximately $15,000. Police officers also found Avila-Zumadio to be in possession of approximately $1,900 in cash. He also had a forged Mexican passport, Round Lake Park Police Chief George Filenko said.
Avila-Zumadio was charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute (class 2 felony), unlawful possession of a controlled substance (class 3 felony), and forgery (class 3 felony).
He was held overnight and appeared in bond court Sunday morning where a $500,000 bond was set.
“Individuals being arrested for transporting drugs from Mexico is common in states along the border. It wasn’t the smartest move committing a minor traffic offense near a police station. A bad day for Mr. Zumadio,” Round Lake Park Police Chief George Filenko said in a statement.