Guatemalan arrested after 22 pounds of cocaine found, Coast sheriff says

A Guatemalan citizen was charged with drug trafficking this week after a Harrison County sheriff’s deputy found 22 pounds of cocaine during a traffic stop, authorities said.

Diego Valdez-Marroquin, 33, was arrested Sunday night. He faces an aggravated drug trafficking charge.

The deputy stopped Valdez-Marroquin in a Toyota Tacoma driving east on Interstate 10 in Gulfport, the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. The deputy “developed suspicions of drug trafficking,” according to the release, and found the cocaine hidden in the car.

Valdez-Marroquin was booked into the Harrison County jail on an immigration hold, which allows authorities time to decide whether a person should enter federal immigration custody. His bond was set at $200,000.

This story was originally published July 9, 2025 at 3:07 PM.