Little Rock, AR – Arkansas State Police troopers seized record-breaking amounts of illegal drugs across the state in 2025, positioning the agency as a regional leader in highway drug interdiction efforts.
According to Arkansas State Police, the agency’s Interstate Criminal Patrol Unit reported sharp increases in seizures throughout the year, including 1,154 pounds of methamphetamine, 750 pounds of cocaine and 127 pounds of fentanyl. Troopers also confiscated 17,700 pounds of illegal marijuana, along with THC products, heroin and other narcotics tied to alleged trafficking operations.
Authorities said the seizures also resulted in the recovery of $1.6 million in cash, 28 weapons and 20 vehicles allegedly connected to criminal activity along major transportation corridors.
ASP Director Col. Mike Hagar, who also serves as chairman of the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program, said illegal drug flows—particularly black-market marijuana—continue to contribute to violence in communities across the region.
The Gulf Coast HIDTA, which includes Arkansas and five other southern states, reported that Arkansas led all participating agencies in total drug seizures for the year. Officials said the region remains a critical pipeline for narcotics moving from the Southwest border to the Midwest and East Coast.
According to Gulf Coast HIDTA officials, a $500,000 investment in highway enforcement initiatives in 2025 yielded more than $87 million in seized drugs and assets. Additional funding has been allocated for 2026 to support ongoing interdiction efforts.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Arkansas’ central location along major trafficking routes makes enforcement efforts especially critical, while federal prosecutors emphasized continued collaboration to identify and charge individuals allegedly transporting drugs across state lines.
Nationwide, HIDTA agencies reported seizing more than 4.1 million pounds of drugs in 2025, disrupting an estimated $17.7 billion in illegal profits.
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