URBANA – Two Chicago men who police say had a large amount of suspected methamphetamine and cocaine in their vehicle as they passed through Central Illinois last week are being held by federal authorities.

U.S. Magistrate Judge David Bernthal on Friday ordered Pedro Lazaro, 29, and Hector Avitia, 25, held until a federal grand jury considers their case in March.

The two have been charged in U.S. District Court in Urbana with having 500 or more grams of methamphetamine. If convicted, they face between 10 years and life in prison.

The men were arrested Feb. 11 after an Illinois state trooper stopped the sport utility vehicle they were driving on Interstate 57 in northern Douglas County shortly after noon that day. The trooper stopped the vehicle for following another too closely.

An affidavit filed by a Drug Enforcement Administration agent said a dog alerted to drugs in the SUV the men were in. The vehicle was towed to Urbana, where police found drugs in cases attached to the vehicle's undercarriage.

Police said they found just over a pound of methamphetamine, and almost 8 pounds of cocaine.

The two told police they had flown to Dallas where they picked up the vehicle and drugs to bring them back to Chicago to sell.

The two were charged only with possessing the methamphetamine. It's likely that the grand jury will hear information about the suspected cocaine later.