Evangeline Parish reports its largest-ever drug bust on I-49

Evangeline Parish Sheriff Charles Guillory reports that his deputies made the parish's largest-ever drug bust on Wednesday during an I-49 traffic stop.

VILLE PLATTE, La. (KLFY) -- Evangeline Parish Sheriff Charles Guillory reports that his deputies made the parish's largest-ever drug bust on Wednesday during an I-49 traffic stop.

Eric Martin, 35, of Ethel, La., faces charges of possession with intent to distribute meth, driving under suspension and speeding. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Guillory said Martin also has an active warrant out of East Baton Rouge Parish for failure to appear for charges of possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and illegal carrying of a weapon.

Guillory said his office's chief deputy and narcotics captain made the traffic stop on I-49 southbound. Guillory said deputies determined Martin was in possession of marijuana and began the process of searching his vehicle. Inside, they allegedly found 38 bundles of meth sealed inside a suitcase, weighing approximately 40 lbs. with a street value of $325,000.

"This amount of illegal narcotics could have affected thousands of people," said Guillory in a press release.