HAMMOND – State Police say a traffic stop on I-12 near Hammond led troopers to find nearly a half a million dollars worth of cocaine Wednesday morning.

According to Louisiana State Police, the traffic stop happened around 7 a.m. on I-12 east near I-55 in Hammond. Troopers stopped a 2014 Ford F-150 pickup truck driven by Maria Delores Daniel for a traffic violation.

“Troopers became suspicious of criminal activity and requested written consent to search the vehicle,” TFC Dustin Dwight said.

During the search, a drug dog discovered 16.3 kilograms, nearly 36 pounds, of cocaine (an estimated street value of $464,550) within the vehicle.

Daniel and her passenger, Julio Cesar Cisneros, were both charged with possession of more than 400 grams of cocaine. They were both booked into the Tangipahoa Parish Jail.