Texas DPS Trooper Mike Sams made a traffic stop Friday, May 6th, which resulted in the seizure of over a half million dollars and the arrest of a man charged with money laundering.

According to DPS officials, at approximately 9:30pm, Trooper Sams made a traffic stop on an Ford F-150 pick-up on Hwy 377 South.   Officials state that the driver, identified as 36-year-old Oscar Mario Escobar of Rocksprings, Texas, was acting suspicious causing Sams to ask for consent to search the vehicle which was granted.  The initial search uncovered over $10,000 in cash.  Due to the unusually large amount of money in the vehicle, it was brought back to the DPS office and further searched DPS officials stated.

Brown County Sheriff’s Deputies were asked to assist in the search using their K-9 officer in an effort to locate any possible drugs in the vehicle.  When seats and carpeting were removed from the vehicle, hidden compartments were found within the truck’s interior.   A total of $666,881 in cash was confiscated from the vehicle after the extensive search reported DPS officials.

An investigation is continuing into what is believed to be a case involving the Mexican drug cartel according to Texas DPS officials.  Escobar is being held in the Brown County Jail on a $500,000 bond.