TROUP COUNTY, Ga. – A trucker is facing several drug-related charges after DEA agents found half a ton of methamphetamine concealed inside the roof of a tractor-trailer in Troup County, according to a report from Fox 5 out of Atlanta.
According to the Fox 5 report, federal investigators say they intercepted the shipment following a tip about a tractor-trailer traveling from the Texas-Mexico border toward the interior of the United States. When agents performed a traffic stop in Troup County, they found a trailer that appeared to be empty.
“Based on additional inspection by DEA agents and investigators, they determined that there was a concealed compartment or a hidden compartment in the ceiling and/or roof of the trailer,” said Michael Mayer, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Atlanta Division. “Investigators were surprised to find the entire roof full of drugs.”
Investigators say agents pulled out more than 1,100 pounds of methamphetamine from the tractor-trailer. The DEA said the drugs have an estimated street value of about $25 million.
“More frequently, we see the drugs are concealed underneath legitimate loads of goods, or it could be impregnated into the actual goods hidden in things,” Mayer said. ‘In this particular case, the trailer itself was the concealment device.”
The driver, identified by the DEA as 62-year-old Peguy Daniel Auguste, was arrested and charged with drug trafficking. Troup County Jail records indicate he was booked last Wednesday and granted a $10,000 bond.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
