A Guatemalan man is behind bars after a routine traffic stop in Gulfport led deputies to a major drug discovery.
On Sunday, July 6, just before 9:30 p.m., a Harrison County Sheriff’s deputy pulled over 33-year-old Diego Valdez-Marroquin near the 39-mile marker of I-10 East for a traffic violation. During the stop, the deputy grew suspicious of possible drug trafficking, prompting a vehicle search.
That search revealed 22 pounds of cocaine concealed inside the vehicle.
Valdez-Marroquin was immediately arrested and charged with aggravated drug trafficking, a felony offense. He is currently being held in the Harrison County Jail under a $200,000 surety bond set by Harrison County Justice Court Judge Brandon Ladner.
Additionally, the U.S. Border Patrol has placed a federal immigration hold on Valdez-Marroquin.
The DEA and U.S. Border Patrol assisted the sheriff’s office in the ongoing investigation.