Image Credit: Arkansas Dept. of Public Safety
The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –
36 pounds of fentanyl and 86 pounds of cocaine headed from California to Memphis were seized by Arkansas State Police (ASP) on Monday afternoon.
56-year-old Claude Bell was stopped by law enforcement at the 75-mile marker of I-40 east in Russellville, Arkansas, about 200 miles away from Memphis.
When ASP searched Bell’s tractor-trailer, they discovered 4 boxes in his truck cab which contained the drug haul.
Bell was arrested and has been charged with 21 counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and 21 counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
He is in the custody of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and will be facing charges in the U.S. Eastern District federal court in Little Rock.
Bell was traveling from Los Angeles, California.
ASP Cabinet Secretary, Col. Mike Hagar, said the amount of fentanyl seized by his officers equates to approximately 150,000 lethal doses.
“Removing over 36 pounds of fentanyl from our communities will save an untold number of lives,” Hagar stated in a press release. “Seizures like this should serve as a warning to anyone transporting illicit narcotics along our interstates and highways. State Police will remain vigilant and committed to keeping the roads safe for law-abiding citizens.”
This is not the first time that ASP has prevented massive amounts of drugs from making their way to Memphis out of California.
During a traffic stop near the 3-mile marker on I-40 east on July 31st, 2024, ASP seized illegal marijuana, almost 7,000 fentanyl pills and 18 pints of promethazine/codeine syrup.
The driver and passenger of the 2024 white Nissan Altima were traveling from Riverside, California to Memphis, according to ASP.
The drug imports from California aren’t just headed for Memphis though according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI).
In December, several men from California were accounted for in what the TBI called the “the largest methamphetamine investigation/enforcement action” in Nashville’s history.
Chief John Drake and TBI Director David Rausch announced the dismantling of a California to Nashville meth trafficking organization responsible for shipping an estimated 5,000 pounds of the drug into Nashville in recent years.
From the start of the investigation in November 2022 through December of 2024, law enforcement intercepted shipments containing more than 800 pounds of meth and 24 pounds of fentanyl headed for Middle Tennessee.
About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee. You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
