Georgia
gaapostille.Com

The owners of a popular Chokoloskee restaurant face two felony drug charges in Georgia after being arrested for driving a truck with cocaine and marijuana in it.

Carlos Valdes, 52, and Dulce Valdes, 47, were arrested Sept. 20 in Lamar County, Ga., following a traffic stop. They each faces charges of cocaine and marijuana possession with intent to distribute.

Florida business records show the Valdeses own the Havana Cafe in Chokoloskee.

A Lamar County Sheriff's Office report said deputies "found four white containers which appeared to be filled with cocaine," which was later confirmed during a field test. They also found "34 bundles of marijuana" hidden in a tool box secured to the bed of a white Dodge 3500. The report doesn't list the weights of the drugs, but WSMV-TV in Nashville, Tenn., reported the couple had four ounces of cocaine and 17 pounds of marijuana.

Lamar County deputies wrote that the Valdeses nervously said they were driving from Tennessee to Everglades City in a borrowed truck. The couple was pulled over for an expired license tag.

WSMV-TV reported that after the arrest, deputies were led to Doyle, Tenn., about 100 miles southeast of Nashville, where a drug bust found two grow rooms. The home wasn't owned by the Valdeses, according to White County (Tenn.) tax records.

The Lamar County report said it's not the first time Carlos Valdes has been tied to drug possession.

"I was advised Mr. Valdes had been the subject of three or more federal investigations for cocaine and bulk cash smuggling," reporting officer Chad Payne wrote.

Havana Cafe is a seasonal business that will be closed until Oct. 15, according to a post on the restaurant's Facebook page. The Valdeses were released Tuesday on $20,000 bond.

Tags:  owners chokoloskee restaurant cocaine charges possession containers confirmed