United States v. John Manuel Solis

The United States appeals from an order, entered in May of 1975 by the District Court for the Central District of California, Harry Pregerson, Judge, 393 F.Supp. 325 , granting defendant-appellee Solis’ pretrial motion to suppress evidence. We find error in the grant of the suppression order and we reverse and remand.

On October 10, 1974, an informant of unproven reliability told a government drug agent that there was a white semi-trailer parked at the rear of a particular gasoline station and that the floor of the trailer contained approximately one ton of marijuana. The informant stated also that the trailer was distinguishable by its paper license plate and by white powder on the outside of its rear doors. The informant stated further that on at least seven occasions he had assisted a John Solis in the unloading of large quantities of white-powder-covered marijuana bricks from similar trailers. That same day, the drug agent proceeded to the designated gas station open to the public and found a white semitrailer with a paper license plate and with what appeared to be white talcum powder on its rear doors. The drug agent later stated in an affidavit that, because of his…