Arkansas State Police Lead Gulf Coast HIDTA in Highway Drug Seizures

Marijuana
File Photo.

The following is a press release from the Arkansas State Police:

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas State Police (ASP) Troopers seized record amounts of illegal narcotics in 2025, leading all agencies in the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) region.

“Black‑market high‑grade marijuana is fueling violence in our cities,” said Gulf Coast HIDTA Chairman and ASP Director Col. Mike Hagar. “These seizures matter. Illegal marijuana, guns, and violence go hand in hand, and every load we intercept makes Arkansas communities safer.”

ASP’s Interstate Criminal Patrol (ICP) Unit reported increases across nearly every category of illegal narcotics:

  • 1,154 pounds of methamphetamine (up from 509 lbs. in 2024)
  • 750 pounds of cocaine (up from 254 lbs. in 2024)
  • 127 pounds of fentanyl (up from 69 lbs. in 2024)
  • 17,700 pounds of illegal marijuana
  • 74 pounds of THC wax
  • 4.6 pounds of heroin
  • 1,200 pounds of THC edibles and vapes

Troopers also seized $1.6 million in cash, 28 weapons, and 20 vehicles tied to criminal trafficking activity.

“The Arkansas State Police do a tremendous job intercepting illegal drugs on highways across the region. The results speak for themselves. In 2025, HIDTA invested $500,000 to support highway patrol initiatives across the region, and that investment returned more than $87 million in drugs and assets,” Gulf Coast HIDTA Executive Director Tim Valenti said. “For 2026, we’ve awarded $10,000 to the Arkansas State Police to help continue this vital work.  Arkansas plays a major role in our program, with Col. Hagar serving as a strong leader for both Arkansas State Police and Gulf Coast HIDTA.”

Col. Hagar was elected Chair of the Gulf Coast HIDTA in 2025 by a 25‑member executive board and serves as one of 33 HIDTA chairs nationwide.

“Protecting Americans from dangerous cartels doesn’t stop at our borders,” said Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. “Arkansas sits at the heart of major drug‑trafficking corridors, and our State Troopers, some of the country’s bravest men and women, sacrifice daily to keep our roads and communities safe.”

United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas Jonathan D. Ross, recently elected Vice‑Chairman of the Gulf Coast HIDTA, emphasized the importance of ASP’s interdiction efforts.

“Col. Hagar and the Arkansas State Police have proven to be national leaders in identifying and seizing illicit drugs. Our office works closely with ASP and federal partners to indict those transporting and distributing these drugs, including black‑market marijuana flowing from Oklahoma, Colorado, and California,” Ross said. “As the newly elected Vice-Chairman of the Gulf Coast HIDTA, I look forward to serving alongside Chairman Col. Hagar as he helps share his expertise with our other state and federal partners throughout the seven states that form the Gulf Coast HIDTA.”

The Gulf Coast HIDTA includes agencies from Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, and Florida, all positioned along major drug corridors connecting the Southwest Border to the East Coast and Midwest.

Nationwide in 2025, HIDTA agencies seized 4.1 million pounds of drugs and disrupted $17.7 billion in illegal profits.

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Courts Hold Social Media Giant Accountable for Harming Kids

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Two juries in two days have found Facebook and Instagram owner, Meta, liable for harming children on its social media platforms.

Last Tuesday, a New Mexico jury ruled that Meta knowingly harmed children’s mental health and concealed what it knew about child sexual exploitation on Instagram and Facebook. Jurors found thousands of violations, with penalties of $375 million.

On Wednesday, a Los Angeles jury awarded $3 million in damages to a young woman who said she became addicted to Meta and YouTube as a child, and recommended $3 million in punitive damages after finding the companies acted with malice.

Evidence presented at trial showed that tech executives knew their platforms were dangerous for children, but kept that information hidden.

The judge presiding over the case will make a final decision about how damages that the companies must pay.

All of this is significant for Arkansas, because Attorney General Tim Griffin has sued Meta in state court for endangering children.

The Arkansas Attorney General’s Office has alleged that platforms like Facebook and Instagram are built around algorithms intentionally designed “to exploit human psychology and foster addiction to maximize users’ screen time,” and that this exploitation is especially true of young users with developing brains.

Social media platforms are a multibillion dollar industry. The adults who own and profit from these companies have a responsibility to protect children on their platforms.

Family Council is not aware of any attorney general in America who is doing more to hold social media giants accountable and protect children online than Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin.

It’s good to see courts in California and New Mexico protecting kids online. We hope Arkansas’ courts will protect children as well.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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