PHOENIX -- Officials say three soldiers in a rental car pulled over for speeding were arrested on drug charges during a Maricopa County Sheriff's crime suppression sweep on Tuesday.
According to an MCSO news release, one was an Army soldier and the other two were Army National Guard soldiers.
The three were identified as Dwayne Campbell, 25, and Llewellyn Stamoulis, 26, both from New York, and Romaine May, 21, of Illinois.
Deputies found 680 pounds of marijuana and $10,000 cash when they stopped the rented vehicle in north Phoenix.
MCSO says the marijuana, worth an estimated $544,000 was found stuffed into 12 military duffel bags in the back of the car.
The soldiers were arrested on charges of possession of marijuana, drug transportation, money laundering and conspiracy.
Officials say the soldiers were wearing military clothing and identified themselves with military identification when they were stopped for speeding. The driver was also charged with driving on a suspended driver's license.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio says the men flew from New York to Tucson, where they rented the vehicle, and they were on their way to Cincinnati. It remained unclear Wednesday where the soldiers were stationed.
MCSO officials say 51 suspects and 37 undocumented immigrants were arrested by the end of the two-day suppression/human smuggling operation. Of the 37 immigrants, officials say 34 will be charged on state human smuggling charges. The other three immigrants were turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
"It is during the enforcement of minor traffic violations like cracked windshields and broken tail lights that deputies come across offenders of more serious crimes like drug smugglers, human smugglers, and perhaps even murderers" Sheriff Arpaio said.
