28-Pound Pot Bust Near Ashland Nets 3 Arrests

Oregon State Police say troopers arrested three California men Thursday morning after a traffic stop led to the discovery of about 28 pounds of marijuana in their car.

The men were in a 2000 BMW 528i with California license plates heading northbound on Interstate 5. They were stopped just south of Ashland. Troopers say they found the marijuana, individually packaged and vacuum-sealed, inside black garbage bags concealed in the car's trunk. It's estimated to be worth $140,000.

Troopers arrested the driver, 21-year-old Jose Maria Valencia-Ceballos, and passengers 32-year-old Jose Luis Chavez-Rodriguez and 18-year-old Gerrado Aguilar Barreto. All three are from San Pablo, Calif.

They're in the Jackson County Jail on charges of unlawful possession, distribution, and manufacturing of a controlled substance - marijuana.