On the evening of Monday, March 2, 2009, Investigators with the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office, the Chipley Police Department and the Florida Highway Patrol Contraband Interdiction Unit teamed up with the Jackson County Drug Task Force on an investigation of drug activity in the Malone and Greenwood areas.

During the coarse of the investigation, it was learned that there was to be a delivery of Methamphetamine in the Greenwood area.

A traffic stop was conducted on the suspect vehicle near the Dollar General Store in Greenwood, Florida. In the vehicle, two Hispanic males were found to be in possession of approximately four ounces of Ice, a highly concentrated form of Methamphetamine, which has a potential street value of more than $11,000.

The two Hispanic males, identified as, Elicio Rodriguez and Joel Pineda, were residing at 6115 Hwy 2 in Bascom, Florida. They were placed under arrest and are facing charges of Trafficking Methamphetamine. Both Rodriguez and Pineda were found to be in the United States illegally.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement will be contacted and a hold for deportation will be placed on Rodriguez and Pineda after they answer to the charges against them. Rodriguez and Pineda were lodged in the Jackson County Correctional Facility.

The Jackson County Drug Task Force is the combined effort of the Cottondale Police Department, Graceville Police Department, Marianna Police Department, Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.