The Arkansas State Police led all agencies in the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas region in 2025, seizing record amounts of illegal narcotics, according to officials.
The agency’s Interstate Criminal Patrol Unit reported significant increases across nearly every category of drugs seized compared to 2024, including more than doubling methamphetamine and cocaine totals.
Troopers confiscated 1,154 pounds of methamphetamine, up from 509 pounds the previous year, along with 750 pounds of cocaine, 127 pounds of fentanyl and 17,700 pounds of illegal marijuana. Additional seizures included 74 pounds of THC wax, 4.6 pounds of heroin and approximately 1,200 pounds of THC edibles and vape products.
Authorities also seized $1.6 million in cash, 28 firearms and 20 vehicles connected to drug trafficking operations.
Col. Mike Hagar, director of the Arkansas State Police and chairman of the Gulf Coast HIDTA, said illegal marijuana continues to drive violence in communities and emphasized the importance of intercepting drug shipments along Arkansas highways.
Officials with the Gulf Coast HIDTA credited Arkansas State Police for their role in disrupting trafficking operations across the region, noting that a $500,000 investment in highway patrol initiatives returned more than $87 million in drugs and assets in 2025.
For 2026, the program has awarded an additional $10,000 to support ongoing enforcement efforts.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Arkansas’ location along major trafficking corridors makes interdiction efforts critical, adding that state troopers play a key role in protecting communities.
U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas Jonathan D. Ross also highlighted the importance of coordination between state and federal agencies, noting that prosecutions often stem from seizures made by troopers on Arkansas roadways.
The Gulf Coast HIDTA includes agencies from Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama and Florida, which are positioned along major drug routes connecting the Southwest border to the eastern United States and Midwest.
Nationwide, HIDTA agencies reported seizing more than 4.1 million pounds of illegal drugs and disrupting $17.7 billion in criminal profits in 2025.
