Truck driver indicted in cocaine case
A 51-year-old truck driver was indicted by a grand jury Friday on two felony charges of trafficking and transporting 452 pounds of cocaine.
Authorities said officers with a state and federal drug task force pulled over Gaston Danjou’s big rig on Aug. 10 just after it passed over the California-Nevada border in Jean because it was being driven erratically.
The cocaine seized had a street value of more than $16 million, authorities said.
Danjou is being held at the Clark County Detention Center on $1 million bail. An arraignment hearing is set for Thursday before District Judge Kathleen Delaney.
According to his arrest report, Danjou acted nervously when he was questioned by the Nevada Highway Patrol trooper who pulled him over.
Danjou’s truck was registered to him. He had a Canadian driver’s license and plates from Quebec.
The report said that after a records check, the trooper decided not to issue Danjou a traffic citation. But the trooper continued questioning him, asking Danjou whether there was anything illegal inside the truck.
“I then asked him if he had any marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine or heroin. To each he said no, but he was unable to maintain eye contact while doing so,” the report said.
Danjou then agreed to let officers search his truck. A drug-sniffing dog discovered the cocaine in secret compartments in the truck’s bed.
