Two people face federal drug trafficking charges after allegedly transporting 260 pounds of marijuana on a private jet from California to Orlando, officials said.
Agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security reported that a confidential informant tipped them off that the plane was on its way.
They were at Orlando Executive Airport when the jet touched down and said they observed two individuals load luggage into an SUV before driving away.
The SUV was tracked from the air by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office as it drove on State Road 408.
When deputies tried to pull it over for speeding in a construction zone, the SUV sped up and exited the highway, before ultimately crashing, investigators said.
Cesar Martins was ejected from the SUV and Chayla Archambault was trapped inside, a federal criminal complaint said.
When deputies arrived at the crash scene, they reported smelling a strong odor of marijuana and found 260 pounds of marijuana packed in airtight plastic inside the wrecked vehicle.
Martins and Archambault were not seriously injured in the crash, officials said.
Archambault told investigators that she was flying back after visiting the wine country in California and did not know what was inside the luggage, the federal complaint said.
Federal agents did not buy her story, though, and Archambault and Martins were both arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
Archambault has since been released from custody, but no one answered when Channel 9 went to the Clermont home where she listed as staying.
Cox Media Group
