Louisiana Police Find Over $5 Million Worth Of Cocaine During Traffic Stop
By Sarah Tate
May 3, 2022
Police in Louisiana made a massive discovery when they found more than $5 million worth of cocaine while conducting a traffic stop.
Louisiana State Police troopers pulled over a vehicle traveling eastbound on Interstate 12 in St. Tammany Parish shortly before 6:30 a.m. Monday (May 2) to conduct a traffic stop, per KATC. It is unclear what led to the traffic stop, but troopers claim they became suspicious of criminal activity during the stop and requested to search the vehicle, which they were granted.
During the search, officers located and seized 55 kilograms of suspected cocaine, which they say has an estimated value of more than $5.5 million.
Two men were taken into custody following the discovery, 32-year-old Melvin Contreras of Mount Vernon, New York, and 40-year-old Pedro Sarante of New York, New York. According to the outlet, both Contreras and Sarante were booked into the St. Tammany Parish Jail on drug-related charges.
In a news release posted on its official Facebook page regarding the incident, LSP say they will "continue to provide the citizens of Louisiana a safer community through proactive drug related enforcement and cooperative efforts with local and federal law enforcement agencies."
LSP followed up with the Department of Homeland Security, KATC reports, and the case has been referred to federal authorities as of Tuesday.