February 1st, 2019
Van Buren- a incident earlier this week which resulted in the seizure of multiple illegal substances by the Van Buren Police Department marks the largest methamphetamine arrest ever for Crawford County, and one of the largest in the state of Arkansas as well.
According to a media release: a duo traveling from California to Georgia were involved in a collision near the intersection of pointer trail and hwy 59 after exiting I-40 to get fuel on Wednesday, January 30th, 2019.
Officers responding to the scene report that the duo displayed “overly nervous” behavior, which prompted further investigation into the accident. Upon further investigation, officers located a large amount of methamphetamine in the trunk of the vehicle.
A total of over 70 lbs of methamphetamine and 500 Oxycodone 30 mg pills were seized during the arrest. The 12th/21st Judicial Drug Task Force and DEA were contacted regarding the arrest and assisted in the subsequent investigation.
43 year old Rebecca Barnes and 27 year old Jimenez Cruz, both from California, were arrested and charged in Crawford County District Court with Trafficking of a Controlled Substance (methamphetamine, over 200 grams).
Both individuals are being held at the Crawford County Detention Center without bond.