MEMPHIS, TN – The West Tennessee Violent Crime and Drug Task Force announced Wednesday it made two major drug seizures overnight from vehicles traveling through Memphis on Interstate 40. The seizures were made by the Task Force’s Interstate Interdiction Unit, which is comprised of officers from the Memphis Police Department and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office.
A special agent arrested Elsa Cameron, 48, of Progresso, Texas and Isabel Silva, 20, of Garciasville, Texas, after a search of the pickup truck in which they were traveling found more than $100,000 worth of cocaine. The defendants’ vehicle was stopped on eastbound I-40 west of Watkins for a speeding violation. The defendants told the agents they were traveling from the McAllen, Texas area to Lexington, Kentucky. After obtaining consent to search the truck, agents found several packages of cocaine stored in two coolers. The cocaine weighed five kilograms and has a wholesale value of approximately $110,000. Both Cameron and Silva were charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture, deliver, or sell.
A special agent arrested Abel A. Vidal, 48, and his son, Abel J. Vidal, 18, both of McAllen, Texas, after they confiscated 81 bundles of marijuana from the pickup truck in which the two were traveling. The defendants’ vehicle was stopped for a speeding violation while traveling on eastbound I-40 in the construction zone near the I-240 interchange. After receiving consent to search the vehicle, the agent called for a narcotics detecting canine. The dog gave a positive alert for narcotics, and the vehicle was towed to the Drug Task Force’s east office where agents found the packages of marijuana in a false compartment of the truck’s camper top. The total weight of the marijuana was 165 pounds, which has a wholesale value of approximately $165,000. Both defendants were charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture, deliver, or sell.
The Interstate Interdiction Unit has been a key element to stopping the pipeline of drugs routed through Memphis and sold in our community and in other cities.
The West Tennessee Violent Crime and Drug Task Force is a joint agency comprised of 43 law enforcement officers assigned from various law enforcement agencies in four of west Tennessee’s judicial districts. Of those officers, six work solely for the Task Force and not for separate law enforcement agencies.
The judicial districts include the 25th Judicial District (Fayette, Hardeman, Lauderdale, McNairy, and Tipton Counties); the 28th Judicial District (Crockett, Gibson, and Haywood Counties); the 29th Judicial District (Dyer and Lake Counties); and the 30th Judicial District (Shelby County). The Task Force is administered by the District Attorneys General of these districts. David McGriff is the director of the Task Force. Assistant District Attorney Bobby Carter is the Task Force’s legal advisor.