An Arizona Department of Public Safety canine district trooper pulled over a white Toyota minivan on eastbound Interstate 40 in Kingman on March 11 and ended up finding a rolling drug stash instead of a routine traffic stop. After a search, the trooper uncovered about 447 pounds of tightly wrapped packages that tested as cocaine. Investigators put the estimated street value at roughly $12.1 million. The driver and passenger were arrested and booked into the Mohave County Jail on drug-related charges.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety later shared word of the bust on its official X account, pointing followers to a full news release that lays out how the stop unfolded and shows photos from the scene.
How the stop unfolded
According to a news release from the Arizona Department of Public Safety, a DPS K-9 alerted to the minivan, prompting a search. Troopers say they found tightly wrapped packages concealed beneath rugs in the trunk. After field testing and inventory, officials determined the packages contained approximately 447 pounds of cocaine, which the agency estimates would carry a street value of about $12.1 million. The release notes that both occupants were booked on charges including transportation of a narcotic drug for sale and possession of drug paraphernalia.
How this haul stacks up
Big drug loads on I-40 are not exactly unheard of, although the size of this one still stands out. Reporting originally published by the Arizona Republic and republished online put a January 2025 cocaine seizure on I-40 near Holbrook at about 554 pounds, while local coverage shows troopers recovered roughly 40.5 pounds of cocaine during a January 2026 traffic stop on I-10 in Casa Grande. Together, those cases highlight how interstate freight and passenger routes through Arizona remain corridors traffickers keep trying to use to move bulk shipments across the Southwest.
Charges and next steps
The AZDPS statement says the investigation is ongoing and that Mohave County authorities will handle prosecution. The agency did not release the names of the suspects and asked anyone with information to contact investigators so the case can move forward.
For Kingman residents and long-haul drivers alike, the bust is a fresh reminder of how active drug enforcement remains along the major east-west corridors and how often trained K-9 teams are the ones that tip off troopers to what is hiding in a trunk. DPS officials say the seizure marks a significant disruption to trafficking activity, and the investigation is still active.
