http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/5274801.html

Tangipahoa deputy books N.C. man on cocaine count

Published: Jan 20, 2007

HAMMOND — A man with a North Carolina address was arrested Thursday night when a search turned up 13.2 pounds of cocaine in his pickup, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office said Friday.

A sheriff’s deputy pulled over Sergio Villegas, 22, of Cary, N.C., on Interstate 12 eastbound during a routine stop for a traffic infraction, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Villegas appeared nervous and consented for the truck to be searched.

Investigators believed Villegas is not a citizen of the U.S., deputies added.

A trained dog subsequently indicated it detected the odor of an illegal substance in the vehicle, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Searchers allegedly found cocaine throughout the truck. Villegas was booked with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and with being an illegal alien operating a motor vehicle, the Sheriff’s Office said.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration took over jurisdiction of the case, deputies said.