Truck Packed With Pot in Gas Tank

Found tightly packaged in the gas tank of a red, Ford F 150 is where the Desoto County Sheriff's Office with help from Southaven authorities says it uncovered about 75-thousand dollars in marijuana Monday morning. The truck was pulled over around 2:46 am near the Stateline Road exit on 1-55 northbound.

"We just opened up the top and there it was in plain view," said Desoto County Sheriff, Bill Rasco.

Rasco estimates the amount of marijuana which had been vacuum packed and hidden in the gas tank, didn't leave suspects Eduardo Castillo and Martin Salazar much room for fuel. Rasco says the two men in their forties claimed to be passing through the area on their way to Michigan.

"The truck was only registering about a quarter of a tank. They would have to stop every 100 miles to get fuel," he said.

The truck first got stopped and pulled over for tailgating. But when the stories told by the men inside didn't add up, Desoto County called for a drug dog according to Rasco. The K-9 he says picked up on something from the truck so; they got a search warrant to inspect it.

"Once we got that, we took the truck to our central maintenance division here in the county and took the gas tank off and recovered 76 pounds of marijuana," said Rasco.

He says they knew to look in the gas tank because when the truck was lifted, it showed signs of being tampered with. Rasco says it had new bolts and other evidence it had been removed.

Both men in the truck are now being held in the Desoto County jail charged with possession of a controlled substance. But Rasco says the feds are investigating as well. He says one of the men is an illegal immigrant.