Arkansas State Police made a substantial drug bust after pulling over a car for a traffic violation last Thursday. During a stop on Interstate 40, troopers uncovered seven kilos of cocaine concealed within the vehicle's spare tire compartment, WREG reports. The operation resulted in the arrest of the driver, 59-year-old Angel Lazala Soto, who now faces a charge of felony trafficking.
According to KARK, the incident occurred around 6 p.m. when Soto was driving a 2024 Honda HRV eastbound near the 271-mile marker in Crittenden County. The routine stop swiftly escalated into a major drug seizure operation. No bond was listed for Soto after his detainment.
The seizure highlights an ongoing battle against illegal narcotics trafficking throughout the state. Interstate 40 is a known thoroughfare for such illicit activities, with traffickers often trying to blend in with regular traffic to avoid detection. Soto, a New York resident, claimed that he was traveling from Austin, Texas, to New York, as per Action News 5.
Following the discovery, Soto was immediately taken into custody and charged, as detailed by KARK.
