Opinion ID: 173724
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Search of Verdugo's Truck

Text: Verdugo first argues that the district court erred in refusing to suppress the cell phones seized from his truck because the agents lacked probable cause and searched the truck without a warrant. This argument is a nonstarter. Before MacIsaac searched Verdugo's truck, the agents working with him had intercepted multiple incriminating cell phone calls and corroborated those calls with surveillance. These investigative efforts provided compelling evidence of what the agents reasonably believed was a drug deal in progress. Further, while the agents no longer had reason to believe that drugs would be found inside Verdugo's truck, they had ample grounds to expect that a search of the truck would uncover the cell phone that Altamarino had been calling to coordinate the drug transfer. Because the collective knowledge of the agents working with MacIsaac on the investigation is attributable to him when determining whether the search was justified, see United States v. Pardue, 385 F.3d 101, 106-07 (1st Cir.2004), MacIsaac clearly had probable cause to believe that his search would be productive. Accordingly, his warrantless search was justified under the automobile exception to the warrant requirement. See United States v. Bucci, 582 F.3d 108, 117 (1st Cir.2009) (automobile exception authorizes warrantless search when agents have probable cause to believe that evidence will be discovered in the place to be searched).