LITTLE ROCK — A traffic stop last week led to the arrest of three illegal aliens on drug charges, 20th Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Marcus Vaden said in a news release.
Officers from the Van Buren County sheriff’s office, Arkansas State Police and the 20th Judicial District Drug Task Force found methamphetamine during the Friday traffic stop, Vaden said.
David F. Tinajero, 30, and passenger Luis Lopez-Sanabia, 29, were taken into custody after the stop on U.S. 65, north of Bee Branch in Van Buren County.
Search warrants were then obtained for their Mount Vernon home and for the El Indio Mexican store in Rose Bud.
At the home, agents said they found more methamphetamine, a handgun and a stolen motorcycle. Methamphetamine was also found at the store, along with another handgun and about $5,000 in cash, the news release said.
The store owner, Jose “Carlos” Montalvan, 51, was also taken into custody.
Tinajero, Lopez-Sanabia and Montalvan face Class Y felony drug charges, which are punishable by 10 to 40 years to life in prison, Vaden said in the release.
Bail for each man was set at $1 million, Vaden said in a second news release.
Arkansas, Pages 11 on 06/24/2010