Arkansas State Police Seize Fentanyl & Cocaine in Monday I-40 Drug Bust

Arkansas State Police troopers seized a large amount of illegal drugs during a traffic stop on Monday afternoon, May 19, along one of Arkansas' busiest drug corridors, Interstate 40.

Around 1:45 PM, an ASP trooper pulled over a tractor-trailer near the 75-mile marker on the eastbound side of the highway. During the stop, investigators found four boxes inside the cab containing 15 kilograms of fentanyl and 35 kilograms of cocaine.

Arkansas State Police say the fentanyl alone equals around 150,000 potentially deadly doses.

“Removing over 36 pounds of fentanyl from our communities will save an untold number of lives,” said ASP Colonel Mike Hagar. “Seizures like this should serve as a warning to anyone transporting illicit narcotics along our interstates and highways.”

The driver has been identified as 56-year-old Claude Bell of California. Bell told authorities he was driving from Los Angeles to Memphis, Tennessee. He was arrested and is now in the custody of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Bell is now facing 21 counts of possession with intent to distribute for cocaine, and another 21 counts of possession with intent to distribute for the fentanyl. He is expected to face charges in federal court in Little Rock.

The case remains under investigation, rmember, all persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.