ASP Busts: Two Significant Drug Seizures on Interstate 40
Arkansas State Police (ASP) recently made two substantial drug seizures during routine traffic stops on Interstate 40 in different counties.
Seizure #1
On Wednesday, August 21, around 4:40 p.m., troopers made a traffic stop for a violation on I-40 near the 104-mile marker in Conway County. The stopped vehicle was a rented black 2023 Chevrolet Malibu traveling eastbound. Following the stop, a search of the vehicle revealed multiple large trash bags in the trunk containing vacuum-sealed bundles of high-grade marijuana. The total weight of the seized narcotics was 105 pounds. The driver, 44-year-old David Willis of Lower Lake, California, was arrested and charged with felony Possession with Intent to Deliver and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
Seizure #2
On Thursday, August 29, 2024, another significant narcotics seizure was made during a traffic stop on Interstate 40 East in Crittenden County. The stop occurred at approximately 6 p.m. near the 271-mile marker. Troopers searched a 2024 Honda HRV and discovered seven-kilo bundles of cocaine concealed in the spare tire compartment of the vehicle’s trunk. The 59-year-old driver, Angel Lazala Soto of New York, was taken into custody. Soto was arrested and charged with felony Trafficking of a Controlled Substance. He indicated he was en route from Austin, Texas, to New York at the time of the arrest.
