Two Texas men are in the Lincoln County Jail on drug chargesafter more the 25 pounds of marijuana and other drugs were found intheir car early Friday morning, said Brookhaven Police Chief PapHenderson.

The drug discovery and arrests followed a routine traffic stopby K-9 Officer Clinton Earls around 2 a.m. on Brookway Boulevard,Henderson said.

Randal David Pepper, 24, and Michael Morris Schuchert, 22, bothof Cedar Creek, Texas, face charges of possession of marijuana withintent to distribute and possession of a Schedule 2 narcotic(codeine). Pepper was also charged with improper display of tag andno proof of insurance.

The two men were traveling on I-55 and stopped in Brookhaven forgas, Henderson said.

When Earls pulled them over on a traffic violation, he found abottle of codeine cough syrup with an estimated street value of$1,000, $1,171 in cash and a 9mm Ruger semiautomatic with twoloaded clips. Those items were confiscated, and the men were placedunder arrest for the codeine.

“There was a lot of marijuana residue in the truck as well,”Earls said.

While the vehicle was being held at the police station, Earlssaid, his canine partner Felix alerted that other drugs were alsoin the vehicle. Further investigation revealed five, five-poundbricks of marijuana concealed in a tire.

Henderson praised Earls’ efforts.

“We don’t normally have that amount of marijuana in Brookhaven,”he said. “Clint did an excellent job on this case. Even though itwas not intended for Brookhaven, it stopped in Brookhaven.”