CHP seizes 850 pounds of marijuana from U-Haul truck in Riverside County

RIVERSIDE COUNTY (KABC) -- A California Highway Patrol officer seized approximately 850 pounds of marijuana from a U-Haul truck in an unincorporated area of Riverside County.

The incident occurred on Sept. 30 at about 3:40 p.m. when CHP officer Mike Bell stopped a U-Haul truck going north on Kirby Road near the intersection of SR-371.

Bell noticed the truck was missing a front license plate and smelled an odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle as he walked past it.

Justin Martel, a 31-year-old man from Miami, admitted the U-Haul was carrying marijuana. Authorities say he planned on selling his harvest to local marijuana stores for over $1,000 per pound.

Martel was arrested and booked for possession of marijuana with intent to sell, a misdemeanor in California, as he did not have a permit to cultivate, transport or sell marijuana in the state.

Proposition 64 legalized marijuana in California, but transportation of the drug remains highly regulated.