Auto Rental News
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

An Estimated $10 Million in Cocaine Confiscated from Rental Car

A Chevrolet Malibu rental was found with four black duffle bags in the trunk stuffed with the illegal drug.

by Staff
September 14, 2011
1 min to read


The Pueblo Police Department of Colorado seized $10 million worth of cocaine the morning of Sept. 12 from the trunk of a rental car on Interstate 25, according to an article from the Denver Post.

Officer Nick Martinez spotted the driver of the vehicle making an illegal lane change and pulled him over. After checking the license of the driver, 37-year-old Mark Bailey of Sylmar, Calif., the officer held him on suspicion of driving under a suspended license and without insurance, and called for backup.

Ad Loading...

Once the officers arrived, a police canine was immediately drawn to trunk of Bailey’s Chevrolet Malibu rented from Enterprise Rent-A-Car. The trunk opened to reveal four black duffle bags containing 100 kilos of cocaine.

According to Deputy Chief Andrew McLachlan, this incident is the biggest drug bust in the city’s police department history. He also noted that the I-25 corridor is well-known for being a frequent pipeline for moving drugs into the United States — especially from Mexico.

Bailey and his passenger, Lisa Calderon, 36, also of Sylmar, were arrested on suspicion of possession of drugs around 10:25 a.m.

More Rental Operations

green and blue bar graphs compare fleet sales June 2025 versus June 2026
Fleet Acquisitionby Martin RomjueJuly 8, 2026

Rental Car Fleet Sales Show Mid-Year Strength

June gains ensured rental fleets closed out the first half of 2026 in positive territory.

Read More →
Close up of a row of white CUVs in the Surprice Mobility fleet at the Milan airport.

Surprice Mobility Opens Corporate Rental Station at Milan Malpensa Airport

The Milan opening is part of Surprice Mobility's broader strategy to expand its corporate operations while increasing the use of technology across its network.

Read More →
Julian Gritsch with an MBA class in a classroom.

Brazilian Executive MBA Targets Growing Domestic Rental Car Industry

Rental car companies face a unique combination of challenges that are rarely addressed in traditional programs.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Green Motion team with banner bearing Japanese flag.

Green Motion Expands Into Japan With Master Franchise Agreement

Japan's tourism industry, business travel market, and demand for vehicle rental services are reasons the country represents an important market for the company.

Read More →
ACRA Chairman Sharky Laguana on stage at the ICRS event in Grapevine, Texas.
Legal & Legislativeby Martin RomjueJune 24, 2026

ACRA Carrying Fuller Industry Load As AI and EVs Lurk In Future

The leading car rental professional business group details an active legislative, regulatory, and macro-trends agenda affecting car rental operators.

Read More →
Light blue horizontal bar graphs on a chart showing World Cup-related rental car booking trends.
Rental OperationsJune 23, 2026

World Cup Travel Data Shows Longer Car Rentals and More One-Ways

A recent analysis of FIFA bookings found varied demand patterns that influenced rental car pricing.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Side view of ICRS speaker Sanchit Garg at podium in front of a floor lit red curtain
Rental Operationsby Martin RomjueJune 22, 2026

A Leveling Force: AI Morphs Into A Rental Car Profit-Seeker

Revenue managers can’t match the emerging AI tools gobbling lots of data that could counter the competitive race to the rate bottom.

Read More →
Photos of Martin Romjue and Denis Gjoni on opposite sides of large headline for the video.
Rental Operationsby Martin RomjueJune 17, 2026

Stop Losing Money On Rental Tolls

Regardless of your rental fleet size and structure, fleet managers, executives, and owners can gain valuable insights into an often-overlooked area of fleet operations.

Read More →
Richard Lowden gesturing on stage in front of a red curtain at the Gaylord Texan Resort near Dallas.
Rental Operationsby Martin RomjueJune 12, 2026

Rethink The Future To Avert A Race To The Bottom

Rental car operators heard a sobering industry message and a stern challenge at the close of the International Car Rental Show.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
John Possumato holding microphone while asking a question during a live conference session at the ICRS Show.

DriveItAway, Free2move Plan Shared Fleet Program for Independent Rental Fleet Operators

Vehicles would be placed with participating rental operations to support car renter demand and provide additional fleet capacity.

Read More →
Ad Loading...