I-95 traffic stop nets 6.5 lbs. of cocaine

Miami man in rental car with Honduran international driver's license arrested

Gerardo Antonio Lopez, 40, of Miami, was arrested and booked into the Camden County Jail.

WOODBINE, Ga. – A search of a car pulled over on I-95 in Camden County for failure to maintain a proper lane early Wednesday morning turned up two boxes that contained white powder that the Sheriff's Office says field-tested positive for cocaine.

The silver Ford Focus was southbound about 7 a.m. five miles north of the Florida-Georgia line when it was pulled over. The deputy approached the driver, later identified as Gerardo Antonio Lopez, 40, of Miami, and asked for his driver's license and registration. Lopez produced a Honduran International driver's license and a rental agreement for the vehicle.

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IMAGES:  Camden County Sheriff's Office photos of cocaine, arrest

Lopez (pictured, below) told the deputy the he and his passenger were coming from Maryland where they had been visiting family for the last week. The Camden County Sheriff's Office says the passenger had a different story, saying they were coming from Virginia, where they were visiting cousins.

Gerardo Antonio Lopez, 40, of Miami, was arrested and booked into the Camden County Jail.

The deputy asked Lopez for permission to search the vehicle and consent was given.  The search turned up two laundry detergent boxes in the rear floor boards in Walmart bags. After noticing the boxes looked as if they were opened and resealed, the deputy asked who they belonged to and was told Lopez claimed they were his. The Sheriff's Office says Lopez granted permission to open the boxes and the deputy found three concealed plastic bags inside.

At the substation, in the packages deputies say they found two zip-lock bags and a hard package that contained a hard, white powdery substance that field-tested positive for cocaine. The total weight of the cocaine found in both boxes was 6.53 pounds, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Deputies say Lopez claimed ownership of all the packages, saying that his passenger had no knowledge of the packages. Lopez was arrested and charged with trafficking cocaine. He remains in custody at the Camden County jail.