3 Accused of Smuggling Marijuana in Perfumed Tires at Poway Biz Park

A spare tire swap in a Poway business park has landed three men in jail, accused of filling the tires with marijuana in a long-running drug smuggling operation, officials announced Friday.

The men, ranging in age from 19 to 73, were arrested around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday on Scripps Poway Parkway and Springbrook Drive in the city of San Diego after detectives allegedly saw them trade spare tires with other people in the Poway business park off of Stowe Drive, according to a San Diego County Sheriff's Department news release.

Detectives had been conducting surveillance on the business park based on a tip and "observed suspicious activity" the day of the tire swap. After stopping the car on Scripps Poway Parkway, Deputy Plutarco Vail's K-9 partner, Hank, "alerted on a spare tire in the trunk of the suspects' car." Inside, deputies found 25 pounds of marijuana wrapped in cellophane and tape, according to the news release.

The suspects allegedly attempted to hide the marijuana smell with an unknown fragance. They've been identified as Mario Arjonilla, 73, from Tijuana, Mexico; Charistian Munoz, 20, from San Ysidro; and George Rodriguez, 19, from San Ysidro.

The investigation continues as deputies search for other possible links to the smuggling operation, which they believe has been going on for "some time."

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