Two traffic stops on I-24 in Coffee County on Monday yielded four pounds of ICE meth.
Authorities made three arrests from the two vehicles.
Leonel Garcia, Antonio Pena Morales and Arnulfo Sastre Cordova are facing meth charges in Federal Court in Chattanooga.
Agents said Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper George W. Stephens stopped a black Dodge Journey on I-24 westbound.
The vehicle was occupied by the driver Garcia. After Trooper Stephens approached the passenger side of the vehicle and explained why he had stopped the vehicle, the driver presented a Tennessee ID. Trooper Stephens went back to his patrol car and called BLOC (Blue Lighting Operation Center) to run the driver through its data base. BLOC advised Trooper Stephens that Garcia was revoked out of Oklahoma. Garcia was placed under arrest.
While conducting a search of the vehicle, officers located a cardboard box behind the driver's seat. The box contained approximately four pounds of Methamphetamine ICE that was packed in four plastic containers.
Approximately one mile east of the traffic stop by Trooper Stephens was Trooper Brent McCawley. Trooper McCawley stopped a white Nissan Armada on I-24 westbound for speeding and following too close. The vehicle was occupied by the driver. Morales, and passenger Cordova.
It was found that Morales did not have a license to drive.
Cordova said that he had made three trips to Georgia including this trip. He said Morales would pay him a couple hundred dollars to make the trip. He said he was paid $200 the first trip and $300 the second trip.
Cordova said he, Morales and Garcia met an Hispanic male at the farmers market in Atlanta, and the male gave Morales a cardboard box on Monday.
He said Morales instructed him to place the cardboard box in the back floorboard of the Dodge Journey, which he did. Garcia was the driver of the vehicle containing the methamphetamine.
Garcia said he had made two trips to pick up methamphetamine including this trip. He said he was going to make $1,000 to drive the methamphetamine back to Smyrna, Tn.