A highway traffic stop along Interstate 55 near Springfield led to the discovery of 103 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated worth of $3 million.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of Illinois said that David Dowling-Chacon, 41, and Luis Dukes-Acosta, 38, were charged with possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine after an Illinois State Police trooper found the drugs in the back of a tractor-trailer the men were driving from San Diego to Chicago.

Arrested on Aug. 15, the men made initial appearances in U.S. District Court in Springfield on Aug. 17. Dowling-Chacon was scheduled for a detention hearing Wednesday. Dukes-Acosta waived his right to a hearing Tuesday and agreed to detention with the U.S. Marshals.

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According to the initial complaint provided to the court, the trooper stopped the trailer at mile marker 91 along northbound I-55 at 6:59 a.m. for a routine safety inspection of the vehicle. Dukes-Acosta told the trooper he and Dowling-Chacon were driving to Chicago to pick up a load and return to the San Diego area.

The trooper asked to search the vehicle after the inspection was completed, according to the report, and found a black suitcase with several kilograms of narcotics inside several rectangular packages wrapped in plastic. Dowling-Chacon and Dukes-Acosta were arrested after additional suitcases and packages with drugs were found inside the truck.

Drug Enforcement Administration agents tested the packages and found that they were positive for cocaine, over 121 kilograms in 103 different packages. Trooper Jayme Bufford, a public information officer for ISP, said that the value of the cocaine ranged from $2.575 million to $3.605 million, noting that interstates like I-55 are commonly used as routes for moving drugs.

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ISP and DEA were assisted in the investigation by the Springfield and Jacksonville Police Departments and the Logan County Sheriff's office.

Dukes-Acosta and Dowling-Chacon were in the custody of U.S. Marshals. If convicted, each will face a mandatory sentence of at least 10 years in prison and could face life in federal prison. A potential sentence also could include a lifetime term of supervised release and a $10 million fine.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Illinois State Police traffic stop leads to $3 million cocaine bust