Accomack County Traffic Stop Leads to Seizure of 5.4 Kilograms of Cocaine

Accomack County, VA - Accomack County Sheriff W. Todd Wessells announced the arrest of a New York man following a joint narcotics investigation.

On March 28, 2026, the Accomack County Sheriff's Office Criminal Impact Unit and the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk Field Office conducted a traffic stop. The stop involved a 2011 Dodge Journey with Georgia registration.

During the stop, a K-9 unit conducted a free-air sniff of the vehicle. A positive alert for the presence of narcotics was indicated.

Investigators subsequently searched the vehicle and located a false compartment beneath the third-row seating area. Upon opening this compartment, approximately 5.4 kilograms of packaged cocaine was discovered.

The driver was identified as 49-year-old John Valentin of the Bronx, New York. Valentin was taken into custody at the scene. Special agents with Homeland Security Investigations assumed custody of Valentin and the seized narcotics. He was then transported to the Norfolk U.S. District Court Clerk for processing.

Anyone with information related to this incident or other criminal activity is asked to contact the Accomack County Sheriff's Office at (757) 787-1131 or (757) 824-5666.  

Disclosure: All individuals mentioned in this article are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Eastern Shore Undercover® does not express or imply any opinion regarding the incident reported.