Big-time drug bust in Benton County

Benton County authorities found almost 200 pounds of marijuana in the trailer of an 18-wheeler Tuesday, May 25, during a traffic stop on I-22.

Rod Dalupan Cuerbo, 57, of Margate, Fla., was arrested and charged with trafficking marijuana and receiving stolen property, according to Sheriff Robby Goolsby.

The suspect is being held in the Benton County Jail on a $120,000 cash bond.

Goolsby said he received a call the evening of May 25 from the Mississippi Bureau of Investigations that a truck pulling a stolen trailer was headed east on I-22 out of Memphis, Tenn.

“The trailer had been stolen out of Cobb County, Ga,. in April,” he said.

Goolsby and two deputies went to a location along the interstate between Hickory Flat and Potts Camp and waited.

“We were there about an hour, and when the truck came through we made the traffic stop and verified the VIN and tag number,” he said.

The sheriff said the driver of the 18-wheeler gave officers consent to search the truck and the trailer.

“We could not see anything visually,” Goolsby said.

He then contacted a K-9 officer from Union County who soon arrived on the scene.

“The K-9 unit got a hit a couple of times outside the trailer and a couple of times inside the trailer,” Goolsby said.

There were three or four pallets at the front of the trailer that all had packing lists with address labels.

But there was one in the back that had no packing list or address.

On that pallet, authorities found 20 cardboard boxes, about 2 feet by 4 feet, with metal trays.

“The marijuana was packaged inside the trays,” Goolsby said. “The packages were about 1.2 pounds each and vacuum-sealed. Dryer sheets were also used to try and hide the scent of the marijuana.” The sheriff’s department confiscated 177 bags of marijuana — totaling 198.21 pounds with a street value of $297,000.

Goolsby said the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics assisted with the case and “played a big part in it.” He said it is the largest drug bust in recent years in Benton County and perhaps the largest ever.

“No one has been able to verify that, but it’s the largest I’m aware of,” he said.