RANKIN COUNTY – Two California men have been bound over to the action of the Rankin County Grand Jury after authorities found 1,100 pounds of drugs hidden in watermelon crates inside their truck. Sgt. James Walker of the Mississippi Highway Patrol said Orlin Caballero, of Linwood, and Anderez Ramirez, of Los Angeles, were both charged with possession with intent after troopers found the marijuana hidden among several crates of watermelons in the trailer.
Walker said just after 5 p.m., on Jan. 15, the suspects were headed eastbound on I-20 in a Freightliner 18-wheeler, disguised as a refrigerator truck, when they were pulled over for a routine inspection. Walker said once they consented to a search, the trooper’s canine unit immediately picked up the scent of the drugs.
“Once the dog hit on the truck, we got more troopers out there to search the vehicle, and we had probable cause to pull the truck off the road and pull it into a safe location to do a full search,” he said.
Troopers found numerous wooden crates of watermelons inside with the drugs hidden underneath.
“They had it like the crates were full of watermelons, but they weren’t,” Walker said.
Walker said 1,100 pounds of marijuana were found during the search with a street value of $1 million.
“The driver said they were headed to Georgia,” Walker said. “And we believe it was their intent to distribute those drugs out East.”
Cabellero and Ramirez were arrested without incident and transported to the Rankin County jail. Their bond was set at $75,000 each. The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics also assisted with this case.
Highway patrol officials said this is the departments second largest drug seizure in recent years. In 2009, troopers confiscated 1,500 pounds of marijuana.
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