ASP seize 15 lbs. of cocaine in Lehi traffic stop

Increased police presence leading up to Memorial Day results in increased arrests

By DONALD WILBURN

donaldfwilburn@gmail.com

A New York man’s ill-fated decision to travel on Labor Day weekend led to a major drug bust in Crittenden County near Lehi, Arkansas. On Saturday, August 29, Arkansas State Police pulled over a 2024 Honda HRV on I-40 East at the 271-mile marker and uncovered 15 pounds, or seven kilos, of cocaine hidden in the spare tire area of the vehicle’s trunk.

Troopers found seven tightly wrapped black “bricks” of cocaine, each weighing one kilogram, or approximately 2.2 pounds. The driver, identified as 59-yearold Angel Lazala Soto, was arrested and charged with felony traf_cking of a controlled substance. Soto claimed he was traveling from Austin, Texas, to New York. Soto is currently being held at the Crittenden County Detention Center and his bond has been set at $500,000.

This incident comes on the heels of another major drug bust by Arkansas State Police just two weeks prior. During a traf_c stop on Interstate 40 in Conway County, troopers discovered 105 pounds of illegal high-grade marijuana

See ARREST, page A2

Over 15 pounds of cocaine were seized during a traffic stop over the holiday weekend.

Photo provided by ASP

SOTO ARREST

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hidden in vacuum-sealed bundles inside the trunk of a rented black 2023 Chevrolet Malibu. The driver, 44-yearold David Willis of Lower Lake, California, was arrested and charged with felony Possession with Intent to Deliver and felony Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Willis stated he was traveling from California to Knoxville, Tennessee.

Both of these incidents occurred as part of a focused enforcement campaign leading up to the Labor Day holiday weekend. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) partnered with Arkansas law enforcement for the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” high-visibility enforcement campaign from September 20 through September 2. The campaign aimed to increase traffic stops and police presence to combat drunk driving fatalities, which are known to spike during the Labor Day holiday weekend.