United States v. Abel Cortez-Sanchez

977 F.2d 592 NOTICE: Ninth Circuit Rule 36-3 provides that dispositions other than opinions or orders designated for publication are not precedential and should not be cited except when relevant under the doctrines of law of the case, res judicata, or collateral estoppel. UNITED STATES of America, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. Abel CORTEZ-SANCHEZ, Defendant-Appellant. No. 91-50566. United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Submitted July 7, 1992. * Decided Oct. 14, 1992. Before FARRIS, WIGGINS and FERNANDEZ, Circuit Judges. 1 MEMORANDUM ** 2 (A) Sufficiency of the Evidence 3 We must view the evidence as a whole, in the light most favorable to the prosecution, to determine whether any rational trier of fact could have found that Cortez-Sanchez had the requisite knowledge under 21 U.S.C. § 952 (a). See, e.g., United States v. Adler, 879 F.2d 473, 495 (9th Cir.1988). 4 The van Cortez-Sanchez was driving contained nearly 150 pounds of marijuana with a street value of $295,000. When he was detained for inspection, Cortez-Sanchez was reported to be quiet, stoic, pale and acting in a manner inconsistent with the usual pattern of behavior for one so detained. Cortez-Sanchez chuckled,…