A Miami man is behind bars after police said a traffic stop led to the discovery of over $70,000 worth of suspected drug proceeds.
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Alejandro Ernesto Gonzalez, 28, was arrested Tuesday on money laundering, money laundering conspiracy, and unauthorized money transmitter charges, Miami-Dade jail records showed.
According to an arrest report, Gonzalez had been pulled over by a Doral Police officer back on Aug. 3 for an expired tag.
During the traffic stop, a police K-9 detected a controlled substance in a black backpack inside the car, and when an officer searched the bag they found $71,360 in cash bundled in rubber bands, the report said.
Gonzalez spoke with officers and admitted to participating in a coordinated cash drop consistent with money laundering related to drug trafficking, the report said.
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During Gonzalez’s appearance in bond court Wednesday, his attorney argued that no drugs were found in the car and that most of the money supply in Miami-Dade is already tainted.
The attorney asked for a low bond amount, adding that it’s Gonzalez’s first arrest and he’s not a flight risk.
A prosecutor asked for a $150,000 bond, but Judge Mindy Glazer said that seemed excessive, and set Gonzalez’s bond at $20,000.
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