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NATCHEZ — Two Natchez men face drug charges after Natchez police officers arrested them Sunday in the Holiday Inn Express parking lot on South Canal Street.

Chryshean Malone, 21, and Tyler Gaines, 20, were both arrested on drug charges and Malone was also charged with possession of a firearm after the two were found in a vehicle with drugs.

Just before 2 a.m. Sunday, an officer of the Natchez Police Department was dispatched to the Holiday Inn Express at 639 South Canal Street in reference to juveniles looking into vehicles in the parking lot.

Upon arrival the officer saw a gray Chevy Pickup in the rear of the parking lot emitting a cloud of smoke that smelled like marijuana with five people inside, law officials said.

The officer said he approached the passenger door, opened it and saw an assault rifle on the floor underneath Malone.

The officer then ordered the driver, Gaines, to step outside of the vehicle and then proceeded to identify the three juvenile females who were also in the vehicle.

During the course of the interaction with the subjects, the officer discovered a bag containing drug paraphilia and drugs, including more than 50 grams of marijuana and a plastic baggie containing less than 100 dosage units of a schedule IV controlled substance.

During the investigation it was determined that the items belonged to Gaines and Malone, who were both arrested and transported to the Natchez Police Department, officials said.