This is a related follow up to last week’s blog post, in which we briefly discussed Reuter’s report that big rigs from Mexico may soon be allowed to operate on U.S. roadways, but that Mexican big rigs will have to comply with rules regarding electronic monitoring in order to prevent tractor trailer accidents.
Today’s blog post concerns a big rig “originating” from Mexico, as Stefanie Thomas reports for Your Tomball News, that broke down inside Texas state lines. As it turns out, had electronic monitoring been available on driver Ronnie Ricks’s truck, it would have presumably been easier for Texas police to discover the hidden pot, as Ricks’s story failed to match up with manual entries he had made in his logbook.
In this case, “old-fashioned proactive police work” led to the discovery. A police officer drove up behind Ricks’s big rig, which had broken down and was blocking traffic on the highway. When the officer questioned Ricks and compared Ricks’s answers to the entries in the logbook, the officer became suspicious.
It is not clear what was inconsistent about Ricks’s answers compared with the entries in his logbook (also known as “comic books” among truck drivers due to how some drivers falsify information contained within them). But what is clear is Texas authorities’ intent to crack down on illegal transportation.
As Thomas reports, District Attorney Brett Ligon said, “There’s a quote that says you can feel free to dislike the law, but you’re not free to disobey the law. My job…is to enforce the laws of the state of Texas, as we’re sworn to do.”
Source: Your Tomball News, “Big rig’s breakdown leads to ton of pot,” by Stefanie Thomas, 07/07/11