Nebraska troopers seize nearly 20,000 pounds of drugs and $250,000 in stolen speakers in two Dawson County stops

# What happened

Patrol (NSP) reported two high-profile interdictions involving semi trucks in Dawson County in early September 2026. Both stops began as routine commercial vehicle contacts and led to large criminal discoveries: a record-volume drug seizure and a large cargo-theft recovery.

# Drug seizure on I-80

At about 8:00 a.m. on Sept. 4, an NSP trooper stopped a semi on Interstate 80 near mile marker 228 and conducted a commercial vehicle inspection. The trooper reported detecting the odor of marijuana. A trailer search turned up 27 pallets that contained roughly 5,200 pounds of marijuana, 13,600 pounds of THC products, and 1,000 pounds of psilocybin products. That totals nearly 20,000 pounds of illegal substances, which NSP estimated had a street value near $50 million.

NSP said this appears to be the largest-volume drug interdiction in agency history. Virginia-based driver William Gomez, 44, was arrested and booked into Dawson County Jail on charges of possession of controlled substances and possession with intent to deliver.

# Stolen speakers and Walmart-bound merchandise recovered

After being placed out-of-service, the driver absconded. NSP identified him as Ashwani Kumar by his New Jersey non-domicile CDL and issued an arrest warrant. Authorities have not released information on any subsequent apprehension as of NSP's Sept. 14 announcement.

# Official statements and context

Governor Jim Pillen praised the patrol's work, saying, "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." Colonel Bryan Waugh, NSP superintendent, described the cases as examples of troopers looking beyond initial traffic stops for criminal indicators and said the seizures prevented further criminal activity. Lt. Governor Joe Kelly noted the ongoing and changing nature of the drug trade.

# Legal and investigative status

Both matters are under ongoing investigation. The drug case led to immediate arrest and criminal charges for the driver on scene. The cargo-theft case involves interstate thefts traced to Illinois and New York, false shipping paperwork, and an outstanding warrant for the driver identified through a non-domicile commercial driver's license.

# Why this matters for drivers and carriers

These incidents show how routine inspections and attention to paperwork can reveal major criminal activity. For drivers and carriers, accurate, verifiable shipping documents and compliance with out-of-service orders are critical. Cargo theft investigations often cross state lines and can involve recovery efforts, criminal charges, and follow-up by multiple agencies.

# Short timeline

• Sept. 14: NSP publicly announces both interdictions and their ongoing investigations.