Truck driver arrested after Florida ag inspectors find ‘handwritten tag,’ 5-years expired registration, cocaine

The Florida Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement (OALE) arrested a truck driver on a felony drug charge after cocaine was discovered during an agricultural inspection.

On July 29, OALE announced the arrest of California-licensed semi truck driver Mukesh Mani.

Officials said Mani was arrested following an agricultural inspection in Escambia County, Florida.

“Mani was the driver of a semi-truck and trailer displaying a handwritten tag with no state designation. The trailer’s registration had expired in 2021,” OALE said.

During the inspection, a canine unit was brought in to perform a free-air sniff of the commercial vehicle. The dog alerted to the truck and prompted a probable cause search of the semi’s cab.

Officers located a vial containing a white powder that tested positive for cocaine.

Mani was booked into Escambia County Jail on a felony cocaine charge, according to OALE.