Georgia · Lowndes County · Crime & Courts
I-75 Drug Bust in Lowndes County, GA: 559 Pounds of Marijuana Found in a Van, Yong Pan Charged
Deputies pulled over a black Dodge Ram ProMaster van on Interstate 75 in Lowndes County on Tuesday morning and found 18 cardboard boxes of packaged marijuana inside, the sheriff’s office said. The driver was arrested on a trafficking charge.
Key facts
- What
- 559.4 pounds of packaged marijuana in 18 cardboard boxes, found in a van during a traffic stop
- Where
- Interstate 75 South, Lowndes County — the Valdosta Daily Times places the stop at the southbound 15-mile marker
- When
- Tuesday morning, Aug. 11 — about 7:50 a.m., per the Valdosta Daily Times
- Vehicle
- Black Dodge Ram ProMaster van, stopped for a traffic violation
- Arrested
- Yong Pan, the driver and only occupant
- Charge
- Trafficking in marijuana
- Jail
- Lowndes County Jail, per the Valdosta Daily Times
- Agency
- Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office
What happened during the Lowndes County traffic stop?
Deputies stopped a black Dodge Ram ProMaster van on Interstate 75 South in Lowndes County over a traffic violation and found 559.4 pounds of packaged marijuana inside, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office said, in accounts published by WALB and WCTV.
The marijuana was packed in 18 cardboard boxes, the sheriff’s office said. The stop was made on the morning of Aug. 11.
The Valdosta Daily Times reported that Interstate Criminal Enforcement officers and Lowndes County deputies were watching traffic at about 7:50 a.m. when they saw the van commit a traffic violation and pulled it over.
“During the stop, deputies established probable cause to search the vehicle,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release quoted by the Valdosta Daily Times. “During the search of the vehicle, deputies located 18 cardboard boxes containing 559.4 pounds of packaged marijuana.”
WALB’s headline puts the seizure at over 550 pounds, and the Valdosta Daily Times headline says over 500. Both reports give the weight as 559.4 pounds.
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Where on I-75 did the traffic stop happen?
WALB and WCTV place the stop on Interstate 75 South in Lowndes County. The Valdosta Daily Times puts it at the southbound 15-mile marker.
Interstate 75 runs north and south the length of Lowndes County, in south Georgia, and passes Valdosta, the county seat, on its way to the Florida line.
Who was arrested, and what is the charge?
The driver and only occupant of the van was identified as Yong Pan, the sheriff’s office said, according to WALB and WCTV.
Pan was arrested and charged with trafficking in marijuana. He was taken to the Lowndes County Jail, the Valdosta Daily Times reported.
Pan is charged, not convicted. Anyone charged with a crime in Georgia is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
What counts as trafficking in marijuana in Georgia?
Georgia law divides marijuana offenses by weight, and trafficking is the heaviest of them. Knowingly selling, growing, delivering, bringing into the state or possessing more than 10 pounds of marijuana is trafficking in marijuana under O.C.G.A. § 16-13-31.
The statute sets a mandatory minimum prison term and a fine at each weight tier, and those penalties apply on conviction. The amount reported in Lowndes County, 559.4 pounds, sits in the lowest of the three tiers.
| Weight of marijuana | Mandatory minimum prison term | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| More than 10 pounds, less than 2,000 pounds | 5 years | $100,000 |
| 2,000 pounds to less than 10,000 pounds | 7 years | $250,000 |
| 10,000 pounds or more | 15 years | $1,000,000 |
Penalty tiers for trafficking in marijuana set by O.C.G.A. § 16-13-31. The seizure reported by the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, 559.4 pounds, falls in the first row.
What we don’t know yet
- Yong Pan’s age and hometown, which are not in either report
- What the traffic violation was that prompted the stop
- Where the van’s trip started, and where the marijuana was going
- The estimated value of the 559.4 pounds that was seized
- Whether Pan has an attorney, and whether a court date has been set
- Whether the case stays in state court or moves to federal court
Frequently asked questions
How much marijuana was found in the Lowndes County traffic stop?
559.4 pounds of packaged marijuana, in 18 cardboard boxes, according to the Lowndes County Sheriff's Office. WALB's headline calls it over 550 pounds and the Valdosta Daily Times' calls it over 500 pounds; both reports give the same figure, 559.4 pounds.
Where did the I-75 traffic stop happen?
On Interstate 75 South in Lowndes County, Georgia, WALB and WCTV reported. The Valdosta Daily Times placed the stop at the southbound 15-mile marker.
When did the traffic stop happen?
On the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026. The Valdosta Daily Times reported the stop at about 7:50 a.m.
What kind of vehicle was stopped?
A black Dodge Ram ProMaster van, pulled over for a traffic violation.
Who was arrested?
Yong Pan, the driver and only occupant of the van, the sheriff's office said.
What is Yong Pan charged with?
Trafficking in marijuana. He was taken to the Lowndes County Jail, the Valdosta Daily Times reported. He is charged, not convicted, and is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
How did deputies come to search the van?
The sheriff's office said deputies established probable cause to search the vehicle during the stop, in a press release quoted by the Valdosta Daily Times.
Which agency made the arrest?
The Lowndes County Sheriff's Office. The Valdosta Daily Times reported that Interstate Criminal Enforcement officers were working with Lowndes County deputies when the van was stopped.
How much marijuana makes a charge trafficking in Georgia?
More than 10 pounds. O.C.G.A. 16-13-31 sets a mandatory minimum sentence and a fine at each weight tier above that line, starting at five years and $100,000 for more than 10 pounds and less than 2,000 pounds.
Sources
- WALB — Over 550 pounds of marijuana found during Lowndes County traffic stop
- Valdosta Daily Times — Over 500 pounds of marijuana confiscated in I-75 drug bust
- WCTV — Over 550 pounds of marijuana found during Lowndes County traffic stop
- Justia — O.C.G.A. § 16-13-31, trafficking in cocaine, illegal drugs, marijuana or methamphetamine
Compiled by The Local Alert Georgia Staff from the named news outlets and Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office statements linked above. The Local Alert is not a law enforcement agency and not a law firm. Anyone named in connection with a crime is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Corrections and removal requests: see our corrections policy.
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