An Alabama man faces several charges after St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's deputies found more than 50 pounds of cocaine in his truck, the sheriff's office said today.
The sheriff's office says it pulled over Fabian De La Cruz Gonzales around midnight list night on I-12 near Slidell. According to authorities, Gonzales consented to a search of the vehicle.
"While searching the vehicle, the deputy located 20 prepackaged bundles of suspected cocaine, yielding an approximate weight of 54.2 pounds. The cocaine was concealed in a hidden compartment, which was built into the bottom of an unlocked tool box in the bed of the truck," the sheriff's department said.
The sheriff's office also says Gonzales had nearly $11,000 in cash on him, "believed to be proceeds of narcotics transactions."
Authorities said Gonzales told the deputies he was traveling from Houston to his home in Birmingham.
Deputies booked Gonzales for possession with intent to distribute the drugs, along with improper lane use and not having a driver's license.
