Kilgore man charged with illegal possession of alligator, various drugs

KILGORE — A man was arrested on Friday after the Rusk County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant and reportedly found various illegal substances, as well as an illegally owned alligator. According to our news partner KETK, Rusk County Sheriff’s Office Investigators, along with Texas Game Wardens, obtained the warrant for a home on Leach St. A follow-up investigation had been conducted based on a Crime Stoppers Tip alleging controlled substance distribution and the illegal possession of an alligator. 44-year-old Jason Best of Kilgore was arrested at the scene and has since been charged with four controlled substance felony offenses, landing him with a bond that totaled $118,500.

During the execution of the warrant, which was labeled a controlled substance warrant, deputies seized:

Approximately one pound of what was believed to be marijuana
A quarter pound of psilocybin mushrooms (magic mushrooms)
Suspected THC-infused edibles
76 THC vape cartridges
Firearms
US currency
A white powder substance that field tested positive for the presence of PCP (Angel Dust)
An illegally-owned alligator

According to the sheriff’s office, deputies located the alligator, which is believed to specifically be a caiman, within the home during the search. It was also reported that Rusk County officials and Kilgore Animal Control have made arrangements to have the caiman relocated to Nature’s Edge, a wildlife rescue located in Dallas.