A traffic stop on a vehicle speeding on Interstate 10 Feb. 14 led to the arrest of two men suspected of drug trafficking, according to a press release from the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office. The car was speeding westbound around Mile Marker 58 when it was pulled over.
The driver, Aaron Jorge Nobregas, a 28-year-old Vero Beach man, admitted to using marijuana and said he was on his way to California "where the good weed was at," the release said.
A K9 unit arrived and alerted to the odor of narcotics coming from the car. The front seat passenger, Carlos Madeira Cardoso, a 28-year-old from Port St. Lucie, told deputies there was marijuana under the seat, the release said.
Deputies found 19 grams of marijuana under the passenger seat and another 12 grams under the front seat. They also found a backpack with a brand new digital scale, 3 grams of cocaine and 7 tablets believed to be a controlled substance.
They also found nearly $70,000 in cash, including $65,000 in a box in the rear cargo area.
Both men were charged with possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and possession of drug equipment.