More than 40 Kilograms of cocaine were discovered and two suspects from Houston, Texas, were arrested during a traffic stop on a stretch of Mississippi interstate.

On Feb 6, 2023, deputies with the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Interdiction Team made a traffic stop on a Ford passenger van on Interstate 20 for a traffic violation.

During a roadside interview, a deputy became suspicious of the discrepancies in the driver and passenger’s stories and requested a K-9 deputy.

The deputy with his K-9 partner “Fox” responded to the traffic stop and searched the suspect vehicle.

The K-9 deputy alerted on the vehicle, and approximately 44 Kilograms of cocaine were discovered hidden inside the vehicle.

The driver and passenger were arrested for Aggravated Trafficking of a Controlled Substance. Both suspects were transported to the Rankin County Jail.

The driver was identified as Mario Robledo-Jaurigi, 54,  and the passenger as Fernando Santiago-Arcuri, 50, both of Houston, Texas.

District Attorney “Bubba” Bramlett will bring both suspects before Rankin County Court Judge David Morrow for an Initial Appearance.