A Mendota man is being held in La Salle County Jail for allegedly tossing a kilo of cocaine out his window as he sped from the cops, who caught him and then seized more cocaine at his home.

The Tri-County Drug Enforcement Narcotics Team found the package that 50-year-old Ruemy Duarte Castaneda allegedly ejected following a midday pursuit Tuesday on Interstate 39 -- and then they found more purported cocaine after a search warrant of his residence.

TRI-DENT said Duarte Castaneda was taken into custody following a traffic stop at 12:10 p.m. on I-39 south of Tonica. Agents assisted by the La Salle and Putnam county K9 units were on scene when Duarte Castenada fled the scene in his vehicle at a high rate of speed, police said in a press release.

“Agents attempted to catch up to the vehicle, at which time Duarte Castenada was observed throwing a ‘kilo’ of purported cocaine from the window of the vehicle,” police said.

The pursuit continued until Duarte Castenada struck a semi, causing minor damage to the front passenger side of his vehicle and ultimately disabling it, police said.

Duarte Castenada then fled on foot into a wooded area near the Route 71 exit, police said. Drug agents and assisting agencies quickly established a perimeter, and Duarte Castenada was located and taken into custody without further incident.

Following the arrest, a search warrant was executed at Duarte Castenada’s residence in Mendota. The search of the residence resulted in the recovery of approximately 144 grams (5 ounces) of purported cocaine.

Duarte Castenada was transported to La Salle County Jail on two counts of unlawful possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver, both Class X felonies.

The charges are preliminary, but based on the weights drug agents project sentencing ranges of 15-60 years for the ejected kilo and nine to 40 years for the 5 ounces seized in Mendota.

A detention hearing is pending in La Salle County Circuit Court.