URBANA — Two Los Angeles men found in northern Champaign County in a car filled with methamphetamine face up to 60 years in prison when sentenced next month.

After a stipulated bench trial, Judge Heidi Ladd ruled Wednesday that Leonel Galaviz-Galaviz, 25, and Jose Canizalez-Cardenas, 35, were guilty of possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine.

The men were stopped on Interstate 57 southbound just north of Rantoul on Sept. 29 by Illinois State Trooper Chris Owen, who has a drug-sniffing dog.

Owen's testimony was that Galaviz-Galaviz, the driver, was speeding and following too closely. When he got out to check out the Toyota Camry, his dog alerted to the presence of drugs, then leapt inside the car.

A search of the car turned up a secret compartment in the undercarriage between the rear wheels that contained 6.94 pounds of finished methamphetamine. Owen said the street value of the drugs was $628,764.

Ladd also considered a statement that Galaviz-Galaviz gave to police in which he said he and Canizalez-Cardenas were paid $4,000 to drive to Chicago, meet with a Cuban, and drive back a different car to California.

Urbana attorney Harvey Welch, attorney for both men, had earlier argued that the free-air sniff search of the car by the dog, which has been upheld by higher courts, turned into a more intrusive and unwarranted search when the dog leapt inside.

Ladd disagreed, saying that the video of the search showed the dog clearly alerted to the presence of drugs before jumping in.

Because of the amount of drugs, the men face an extended prison term of between 15 and 60 years. They also face fines of up to $400,000 each.

Assistant State's Attorney Sarah Carlson said the men also face deportation after any sentence they might receive because they were in the United States illegally.

Ladd set sentencing for the pair for July 25.