FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) — Arkansas State Police arrested three people after a traffic stop on Interstate 40 netted 19 pounds of crystal methamphetamine en route from California to Tennessee, according to federal court documents.
Miguel Angel Galicia-Canseco, Janet Garcia-Hernandez and Jairo Lopez-Vazquez, all of Clarksville, Tenn., were arrested June 27 in connection with conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Police found 19 plastic bags containing a white, crystal-like substance inside two cardboard boxes stored underneath the back seat of Galicia-Canseco’s pickup. The substance tested positive for crystal methamphetamine, according to the documents.
A state trooper near Van Buren initially stopped Galicia-Canseco for a traffic violation. But when Galicia-Canseco refused to let police search his vehicle, another trooper deployed his K9 and it alerted officers to the presence of drugs, according to the documents.
Three juveniles also inside the pickup were turned over to the Arkansas Department of Human Services.
Galicia-Canseco told police the group had been in California on vacation. He denied knowingly transporting drugs, saying his friend paid him $1,000 to take some luggage back to Clarksville that would be picked up later.
However, while stopping for gas in Arizona, Garcia-Hernandez told police Galicia-Canseco said there were drugs in the boxes. Lopez-Vazquez also said that Galiica-Canseco told him he was taking “crystal” back to Tennessee, according to court documents.
The trio was being held Tuesday (July 4) at the Sebastian County Detention Center on holds for the U.S. Marshal’s Office. No bonds were set.
