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Something about this news story doesn’t add up. When Louisiana State Police pulled over a big rig on Valentine’s Day, they expected a routine stop. Instead, they found a truckload of drugs and a whole bag of cash—more than $1.1 million. Yet the driver was far from a cartel boss. Lenny Collado is a 29-year-old trucker with the worst luck imaginable. And obviously no date night plans.

Collado was cruising LA 415, north of Interstate 10, when “a trooper working commercial motor vehicle (CMV) enforcement conducted a traffic stop on LA 415 north of Interstate 10 in Port Allen.” The stop was for a “Level 2 CMV inspection,” a standard procedure for commercial trucks. At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But then, the officer noticed “a white plastic bag on the floorboard with what appeared to be a large sum of cash.”

That’s when things went sideways.

Louisiana trucker bust leads to shocking discovery

With the help of West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office investigators and patrol deputies, police searched the truck. The results were staggering: “approximately $1,147,638.00 in U.S. currency, approximately 183 pounds of suspected marijuana, and approximately 7 grams of suspected cocaine” were seized. Yes, police counted every last dollar.

For a smuggler, Collado was either extremely confident—or extremely reckless. Drug busts typically involve either cash or product, not both. And the seven grams of cocaine? That’s far from a distributor’s supply. Not for an operation moving almost 200 pounds of pot. It’s a strange detail in an already bizarre case.

Collado was arrested and charged with “possession with the intent to distribute marijuana or synthetic cannabinoids and transactions involving proceeds from drug offenses.” He was booked into West Baton Rouge Parish Prison, where he spent Valentine’s Day behind bars.

One thing’s for sure—this wasn’t your typical narcotics operation. Why keep all the cash in a grocery bag? Why such an oddly small amount of cocaine? Maybe Collado was just a middleman in over his head. Either way, he won’t be making any deliveries anytime soon.

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Staff Writer

Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari is a MotorBiscuit Staff Writer who brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. Henry is also an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts. Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont. While Henry is interested in vintage cars, he believes the golden age of cars is yet to come. He is confident journalists will play an important role in this revolution by exposing the industry as it is now and envisioning its possible future.