Troopers Find Nearly 20,000 LBs of Drugs, Trailer Full of Stolen Items in Dawson County Traffic Stops
September 14, 2026 (Lexington, Neb.) - Today, Governor Jim Pillen, Lt. Governor Joe
Kelly, and Attorney General Mike Hilgers praised the Nebraska State Patrol following
two high-profile criminal interdiction cases this month. In the two cases, troopers
have taken nearly 20,000 pounds of drugs off the street and recovered a semi-trailer
full of stolen electronics and other items in separate incidents this month in
Dawson County.
"The Nebraska State Patrol is a tremendous law enforcement agency. Our troopers do
amazing work to keep us safe - through their patrols in the air, as well as on the
ground," said Governor Jim Pillen. "Both of these seizures happened because our
troopers are highly trained and are ready to investigate when it appears criminal
activity is underway."
The first incident occurred Friday, September 4, at approximately 8:00 a.m., when a
trooper performed a traffic stop on a semi near mile marker 228 on I-80. During the
traffic stop, the trooper performed a commercial vehicle inspection and detected the
odor of marijuana.
Troopers searched the vehicle and located thousands of pounds of marijuana, THC
products, and psilocybin products in the semi-trailer. In total, there were 27
pallets of boxes in the trailer containing the products. The packages contained a
total of approximately 5,200 pounds of marijuana, 13,600 pounds of THC products, and
1,000 pounds of psilocybin products. The street value of the drugs has been
estimated at over $50 million. NSP believes this is the largest volume drug
interdiction in agency history.
The driver, William Gomez, 44, of Virginia, was arrested for possession of
controlled substances and possession with intent to deliver. He was lodged in Dawson
County Jail.
The second incident happened Wednesday, September 9. That evening, NSP was alerted
that a semi in Nebraska may be transporting professional speaker equipment, valued
at $250,000, that had been reported stolen. At approximately 5:30 p.m., a trooper
located the semi parked at a truck stop near Gothenburg. The trooper contacted the
driver and discovered that the driver's commercial delivery paperwork was false. The
driver was placed out of service and not allowed to continue driving.
Troopers obtained a search warrant for the trailer. A search of the trailer revealed
that approximately half of the trailer contained miscellaneous items that were
intended for Walmart facilities in Florida. The other half of the trailer contained
the high-end commercial speakers that were destined for Las Vegas, NV. Further
investigation led to the discovery that all the items had been stolen from Illinois
and New York. Investigators are still working to determine the total value of the
stolen items, but the speakers alone have an estimated value of $250,000.
After being placed out of service, the driver absconded. An arrest warrant has been
issued for the driver, who was identified as Ashwani Kumar, by his New Jersey
Non-Domicile CDL.
"These two investigations are excellent examples of troopers looking beyond the
initial traffic stop for indicators of criminal activity," said Colonel Bryan Waugh,
Superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol. "The troopers involved in these
investigations have not only uncovered crimes, but they've prevented further
criminal activity that would have occurred if these two semis reached their intended
destinations. Their work has made communities safer by interrupting multiple
criminal enterprises."
Both investigations remain ongoing.
"I think it's a reminder to all of us - this drug trade is international, it's
national, it's ongoing. It doesn't slow up and the tactics change all the time,"
noted Lt. Governor Joe Kelly. "And thank God the Nebraska State Patrol is there,
always trying to stay ahead of this game."
Speaking as a member of Nebraska's greater law enforcement community, Attorney
General Mike Hilgers praised the work of the State Patrol, especially for pulling a
record amount of drugs off the streets.
"The intelligence, the training, the work ethic, the curiosity, the deploying of
their skills and their training for the betterment of the community and for
Nebraskans, I think is why it is an incredible organization -- for my money the best
law enforcement agency in the country. It's an organization we are proud to support
and proud to be collaborators with."
