By Associated Press
WEST HAVEN, Conn. — Connecticut police arrested two men and seized an estimated $15 million in marijuana after discovering a storage facility was being used illegally as a hub for pot distribution in the Northeast, authorities said Thursday.
West Haven police said local officers and agents with the FBI and Drug Enforcement Administration found 1,700 pounds (770 kilograms) of marijuana on Wednesday when they stopped a U-Haul truck while investigating what they called an international marijuana trafficking operation.
“The investigation revealed that individuals were utilizing a storage facility in West Haven as a hub to distribute large quantities of marijuana throughout the tri-state area,” West Haven police said in a statement, referring to the area that includes Connecticut, New York and New Jersey.
Two men from Reston, Virginia, 23-year-old Jourdan Maniray and 20-year-old I’real Jones, were charged with possession with intent to sell over 1 kilogram of marijuana and possession of a controlled substance.
Both men were detained. It wasn’t clear if they have lawyers who could respond to the allegations.
Fifteen states have broadly legalized marijuana, while 36 allow medical marijuana. It remains illegal at the federal level.