Drug agents seized lots of cocaine and, atypically, the seizure happened on Interstate 39 near Oglesby rather than on Interstate 80.

Jovanny Castaneda might have thought he’d evade detection by traveling the less-heavily monitored I-39, but his luck ran out in a 2023 traffic stop. Now, he’s going to prison for 20 years.

Castaneda, 33, of Durango, Mexico (also listed in Alabama), appeared Thursday in La Salle County Circuit Court and pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a controlled substance (more than 900 grams of cocaine), a Class X felony.

In exchange for a plea plus a fine of $50,000, La Salle County prosecutors agreed to 20 years in prison. A key component of the negotiated plea is Castaneda is eligible for day-for-day good time, whereas he initially faced a 30-year minimum with a requirement that he serve 75% of his sentence.

Castaneda declined an opportunity to address Chief Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr. before sentencing. Frankfort defense attorney Donald MacNeil declined comment after the plea.

Castaneda was charged April 24, 2023, after a traffic stop near Oglesby. A search of his vehicle yielded 17 pounds of cocaine.

The La Salle County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Narcotics Team, conducted a traffic on the vehicle on complaints of improper lane usage and improper display of registration. The La Salle County Sheriff’s Office said the K-9 indicated the presence of narcotics and a search followed.