HispanicBusiness

More than 71 pounds of cocaine was seized by police in a traffic stop south of Pueblo, Colo., Saturday night.

Colorado State Patrol troopers stopped a blue Chrysler Town and Country van on Interstate 25 south of Pueblo for lane violations.

The driver of the van, Thelma M. Caraveo, 52, told officers that she and two other passengers, Edgar J. Caraveo, 35, and Clara E. Fonseca, 51, were headed to Denver from El Paso, Texas. According to an affidavit, troopers said Thelma Caraveo appeared nervous when answering questions and were suspicious of the trio's story. Troopers requested a K-9 officer respond to the location to search the van.

Once the K-9 officer got to the scene, Thelma Caraveo signed a consent to search form allowing officers to search the van.

The K-9 alerted officers to the odor of narcotics in the van.

Troopers noticed a nonfactory electronic compartment in the headliner area of the van.

All three occupants of the van were detained and transported to the Pueblo County jail.

The van was relocated to the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office, where a deputy was able to access the compartment.

Thirty aluminum-taped packages were removed from the compartment, totaling 71.6 pounds in weight.

Deputies cut one of the packages open and discovered a white, powdery substance inside. The substance inside field-tested positive for cocaine.