Two men arrested in Hancock County with cocaine in produce shipment

Friday, February 23, 2024 at 3:44 AM

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Indiana State Police found a large amount of cocaine hidden in produce while conducting a traffic stop.

An Indiana State Police trooper was patrolling I-70 near Mount Comfort Road Sunday afternoon when an eastbound semi caught his attention. The trooper is certified to perform Federal Motor Carrier Inspections on commercial vehicles.

Just after 1 p.m. Sunday, the trooper pulled over a semi to perform an inspection. Part of the inspections includes a review of the required paperwork and log book, which revealed a log book violation. The ISP report states that while interacting with the driver and co-driver, the trooper noticed criminal indicators that, based upon his training and experience, led him to ask for consent to search the semi, and the driver agreed.

The trooper located dozens of packages he suspected to be cocaine. A field test later confirmed his suspicion. The drugs were located inside boxes of onions among other produce in the trailer.

The driver of the semi and the passenger were both arrested and transported to the Hancock County Jail on probable cause of possession of cocaine.

The Hancock County Prosecutor's office has reviewed the case and subsequently filed formal charges against both individuals in Hancock Superior Court.

Jose N. Perez (66) of California Count I - Dealing in Cocaine I.C. 35-48-4-1(a)(2) and I.C. 35-48-4-1(e)(1) Level 2 Felony Count II - Possession of Cocaine I.C. 35-48-4-6(a) and I.C. 35-48-4-6(d)(1) Level 3 Felonly Miguel Rodriguez (60) of California Count I - Dealing in Cocaine I.C. 35-48-4-1(a)(2) and I.C. 35-48-4-1(e)(1) Level 2 Felony Count II - Possession of Cocaine I.C. 35-48-4-6(a) and I.C. 35-48-4-6(d)(1) Level 3 Felonly

The Indiana State Police was assisted by the Hancock County Sheriff's Office and worked closely with the Hancock County Prosecutor for charges. The truck was towed to Johnson's Towing in Greenfield to be offloaded to complete the search.

"I am grateful for the effort and cooperation of all involved that has provided us with the evidence to bring these charges. This is a great example of the type of alert police work and interagency cooperation that keeps our community among the nation’s safest," said Hancock County Prosecutor Brad Eaton.