Two metro Atlanta men were taken into custody after a traffic stop led to the confiscation of over 2,100 pounds of cocaine and marijuana, according to authorities.
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety reported that Yohannes Teane Haile, 36, of Lawrenceville, and Belayneh Kassa Befikadu, 42, of Clarkston, were apprehended Thursday during a collaborative law enforcement operation in Rankin County.
Officers stopped an 18-wheeler driving down Interstate 20 and seized 204 pounds of cocaine and 1,959 pounds of marijuana, according to authorities.
Haile and Befikadu face charges of aggravated cocaine and marijuana trafficking. Both were transported to the Rankin County Detention Center.
The operation was carried out by the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety Interdiction Team, the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department, and the Madison Police Department.
Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey stated that his agency is still dedicated to cooperating with other authorities to limit drug availability in Rankin County, as well as throughout the area and state.
The Mississippi Department of Public Safety announced that it will continue to collaborate with local, state, and federal partners to combat narcotics trafficking and dismantle criminal organizations.
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