Crime & Courts

Tourist nabbed with suitcase full of cocaine labeled ‘Coca-Cola,’ NC police say

A traffic stop led to the arrest of a tourist from Texas accused by police of traveling with a suitcase full of cocaine.

Greenville police reported stopping the 32-year-old Houston man near U.S. 264 and N.C. 11 Bypass on Wednesday.

“During the traffic stop and with the assistance of a police K-9, officers located a suitcase containing 9 kilograms of cocaine,” police said on social media.

Packages with Coca-Cola stickers

Police arrested the man on a felony charge of trafficking in cocaine, Pitt County Detention Center records showed.

A traffic stop led to the arrest of a tourist from Texas accused by NC police of traveling with a suitcase full of cocaine.
A traffic stop led to the arrest of a tourist from Texas accused by NC police of traveling with a suitcase full of cocaine. Greenville NC Police Department

Police released photos of numerous packages sporting large Coca-Cola stickers. The packages contained the cocaine, officers said.

The man remained jailed on Saturday on a $2 million bond, according to jail records.

This story was originally published March 28, 2026 at 12:58 PM.

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Joe Marusak
The Charlotte Observer
Joe Marusak has been a reporter for The Charlotte Observer since 1989 covering the people, municipalities and major news events of the region, and was a news bureau editor for the paper. He currently reports on breaking news. Support my work with a digital subscription
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