CLEARLAKE, Calif. – A Monday night traffic stop led to another large seizure of processed marijuana and resulted in three arrests.

Maximiano Caballero Munoz, 33, of Sunnyside Wash.; Victorino Villegas Morales, 36, and 25-year-old Rodrigo Lopez Lopez, both of Santa Rosa, were arrested following the stop, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

Brooks said that on Monday at 6:40 p.m. a patrol deputy conducted an enforcement stop for vehicle code violations on a gray-colored Nissan Xterra in the area of Highway 53 and 18th Avenue in Clearlake.

As the deputy approached the vehicle he could smell a strong odor of marijuana. Brooks said the deputy contacted the driver, identified as Munoz, and as they were speaking the deputy could smell the strong odor of marijuana emitting from within the vehicle.

Also in the vehicle were Morales and Lopez, along with a fourth unidentified subject who Brooks said took off running across Highway 53 into the brush.

Brooks said additional patrol units responded to the scene and conducted an extensive search of the area for the subject, but were unable to locate him.

Deputies conducted a search of the vehicle and located three large duffel bags and a suitcase in the cargo area. Brooks said the deputies opened the bags and the suitcase, discovering they were all filled with processed packaged marijuana, which the seized.

One of the deputies searched Munoz and located $1,250, which also was seized pending asset forfeiture proceedings, Brooks said.

Munoz, Morales and Lopez were arrested for the possession of marijuana for sales, selling or furnishing marijuana and conspiracy to commit a crime, Brooks said. They were transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked.

Deputies later counted and weighed the bags of marijuana located in the vehicle. There were 94 bags of processed marijuana with an approximate gross weight of 104 pounds, according to Brooks.

The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be reached through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.