A Twin Cities man and a suspected accomplice were arrested on an Oregon interstate after their vehicle loaded with more than 200 pounds of marijuana was stopped by law enforcement, authorities said.

Pandy Hout, 29, of Shakopee, and Meng Lor, 28, of Sacramento, Calif., were apprehended about 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 18 on Interstate 5 near the southwestern Oregon town of Merlin, according to the Oregon State Patrol.

The trooper pulled over the SUV for speeding and "became suspicious of criminal conduct and searched the vehicle following a roadside investigation," the patrol said in a statement issued Tuesday.

A search turned up 201 pounds of packaged marijuana in the vehicle being driven by Hout, authorities said.

The two men had flown from Denver to the airport in Medford, Ore., and rented the SUV for a trip to an undetermined location in California, where the marijuana was acquired, the patrol said.

Authorities said they believe the two were taking their haul to Minnesota.

Pandy Hout

The men were taken to the Josephine County jail and released the next day after putting up $2,000 bond each. They were each charged with exporting marijuana and unlawful possession of more than 4 ounces of the drug.

Contact information for the two men was not immediately available.

In late 2014, voters made Oregon the third state in the nation to legalize small amounts of marijuana for recreational use for people 21 and older.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482