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LACOMBE, La – St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office deputies found nearly 50 pounds of cocaine stashed inside of a pickup truck during a traffic stop.

The officers stopped a 2016 Ford F150 that was traveling East on I-12 near Lacombe around 10:30 p.m. on November 12, according to the STPSO. The two men in the truck, 21-year-old Sergio Pereyra and 22-year-old Jose Pereyra, told deputies they were traveling back to Florida from Texas.

STPSO K9 officer Nero alerted deputies to the presence of drugs in the truck. Officers found three tetrahydrocannabinol oil cartridges, a burnt cigarillo containing suspected marijuana residue and two small vials containing cocaine residue inside the cab of the truck, according to the STPSO.

A search of a tool box in the bed of the truck turned up a piece of luggage with 48.6 pounds of cocaine. The officers also found $3,887 in cash.

Both men were arrested and booked into the St. Tammany Parish Jail. Sergio Pereyra faces multiple charges, including speeding, driving on the right side of the road, driving without a license, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Jose Pereyra faces charges including possession of marijuana and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

“Our Highway Enforcement Deputies have continued to be proactive and work tirelessly to disrupt the flow of illegal narcotics travelling in and through St. Tammany Parish,” Sheriff Randy Smith said.