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Federal authorities have declined to prosecute two drug suspects from Washington state after St. Paul auto mechanics found 157 pounds of marijuana in the gas tank of their pickup truck this week.

The case has been turned over to St. Paul police.

The decision left some state and law enforcement officials scratching their heads, while in reality it shows that federal thresholds for prosecution in marijuana cases now exceed the amount found in the pickup.

"I think it is unusual," Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom said, regarding a lack of prosecution thus far. "This is a significant quantity of marijuana that these people were caught with."

Fred Bruno, a defense attorney not involved in the case who has defended numerous suspects in federal drug cases, said the decision isn't unheard of.

"It's a big case by state standards but a small case by federal standards," Bruno said. "That amount would raise just about every eyebrow in the state judicial system, but maybe not many in the federal system."

Fresh weld markings

The suspects, a man and a woman, stopped at a Midas shop in St. Paul on Saturday when their pickup wouldn't run.

A mechanic looking into the problem discovered fresh weld markings and a recently modified fuel tank on the pickup.

Suspicious workers, who called a state trooper, found that the gas tank held 157 pounds of marijuana worth about $157,000, authorities said.

The suspects were arrested after the discovery Monday but have been released.

Authorities said Tuesday that federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents were handling the case.

The DEA does not bring marijuana cases to the U.S. attorney's office unless the confiscated amount exceeds 500 pounds, said Kent Bailey, who heads the DEA field office in Minneapolis.

St. Paul investigating

On Wednesday, the case was turned over to St. Paul police, department spokesman Tom Walsh said. The Police Department will investigate and present its findings to the Ramsey County Attorney's Office.

The man and the woman are not considered fugitives because no charges or warrants for their arrests have been filed, Walsh said.

Their whereabouts are unknown, he said.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office would say only that she had no information about the case.