A traffic accident in Van Buren involving two people from California led to the discovery of more than 70 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in their car.
Rebecca Brenes, 43, and Jose Jimenez-Cruz, 27, were arrested Wednesday after police discovered the drugs and more than 500 Oxycodone pills, according to a news release from the Van Buren Police Department. They were booked into the Crawford County jail without bond on charges of trafficking a controlled substance.
“This is the largest methamphetamine arrest ever in Crawford County and one of the largest in Arkansas,” the release said.
The release said the two were on Interstate 40 traveling from California to Georgia when they pulled off the interstate at Van Buren for gas. The driver, Brenes, made a left turn in front of another vehicle and the two collided.
Police officers responding to the accident observed suspicious behavior by the two, which prompted officers to investigate further, the release said. Officers located the drugs hidden in the back of the vehicle, the release said.
Officers with the 12/21 Judicial District Drug Task Force and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration were called to assist in the investigation after the drugs were discovered, the release said.