A man is behind bars after Wichita County Sheriff’s Deputies say they found more than 50 pounds of cocaine hidden in his vehicle during a traffic stop.
The arrest happened just before 2:20 p.m. on Friday when a deputy pulled over a Honda Ridgeline on US Highway 82 near FM 369 for having an obscured license plate.
Traffic Stop Leads to Major Drug Bust
According to authorities, Dennis Pigford, 57, was driving the vehicle.
While issuing a warning for the license plate issue, the deputy noticed several signs that raised suspicion of narcotics smuggling. Acting on his instincts, the deputy asked Pigford for permission to search the vehicle. Pigford agreed.
During the search, deputies found several white, taped packages, each about the size of a kilogram, hidden inside the right rear fender of the vehicle.
Upon inspection, the packages were found to contain approximately 54 pounds of cocaine.
Charges and Federal Hold
Pigford was immediately taken into custody and charged with manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance.
However, his local charges were later dropped, and he was placed on hold by the United States Marshals, meaning he will now face federal charges related to the drug bust.