Lisa Marchesoni
Posted: Thursday, February 26, 2009 2:39 pm

Six kilos of cocaine with a street value of $600,00 won’t be hitting the streets of Nashville and Rutherford County after the illegal drug was intercepted Wednesday on Interstate 24, a sheriff’s lieutenant said.

K-9 Dawi gave a positive alert for the odor of narcotics in a Honda Ridgeline truck driven by illegal immigrant Floriberto Orosco Perez, 25, of Atlanta, said Lt. Chris Haynes. ICE deputies took the truck to Jim Roberts Automotive where Haynes and Sgt. Shawn Applegate searched the truck.

“Inside we located the compartment which contained six kilograms of cocaine,” Haynes said. “The cocaine was destined for Nashville. With that quantity of cocaine, there’s a good chance a pat of that would have made its way back into Rutherford County.”

Haynes charged Perez with felony possession of cocaine. He is being held on $100,000 bond in Rutherford County Adult Detention Center. Also, the federal Immigration Customs Enforcement placed a hold on the illegal immigrant for possible deportation.

Perez was stopped for a traffic violation at the 86-mile marker between the Buchanan Road and Joe B. Jackson Parkway exits of I-24. During the stop, Haynes noticed indicators of criminal activity. He obtained consent from Perez to search the truck.

Haynes and Applegate noticed a possible hidden compartment they found once dismantling the vehicle and charged Perez.

Perez’s hearing is set April 30 in General Sessions Court.