A New Mexico man arrested near Salina pleads guilty in a drug trafficking case.

According to the U.S Attorney's Office, 20-year-old Leondardo Escalante from Columbus, N.M., has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess and distribute marijuana and cocaine.

In his plea, Escalante admitted that on June 26, 2007, he was driving on Interstate 70 near Salina in a Nissan Xterra when he was pulled over by the Kansas Highway Patrol. In the car, investigators found 455 pounds of marijuana in boxes full of brick-shaped packages.

Escalante is set for sentencing Oct. 5, 2009.

Escalante was one of about two dozen defendants charged in a series of indictments based on a federal investigation called Operation Loadrunner that ran from April 2006 to August 2007.

Led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Operation Loadrunner targeted a drug trafficking organization that distributed

more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and more than 5 kilograms of cocaine in the metro area of Kansas City, Kan. The traffickers acquired drugs in Mexico, transported them to Kansas, and then sent large amounts of cash back to Mexico

concealed in motor vehicles. Charged in the same indictment with Escalante were:

Rene Garcia-Rodriguez, who is set for sentencing Sept. 28, 2009.

Manuel Gerardo Terrazas, who is set for sentencing Sept. 14, 2009.

Kevin Chism, who is set for sentencing Sept. 28, 2009.

Hector Contreras, who was sentenced to 46 months.

Johnny Sanchez, who was sentenced to 37 months.

Erica Barajas: Who is set for sentencing Sept. 28, 2009.

Luis Arturo Castro-Quezada, Yehia Hassen, Ziad Mousa Mussallet,

Milo Santana Sanchez, Daniel Morales-Marquez, Trinidad Marquez-

Martinez, Jessie Dickinson and Richard Sanchez, all of whom are awaiting

trial.