Late-night chase near Pocatello ends with massive drug bust
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POCATELLO — A late-night traffic stop turned into a high-speed pursuit and major drug seizure after an Idaho State Police Domestic Highway Enforcement trooper attempted to pull over a sedan near Pocatello on Monday.
Just before midnight, a trooper patrolling Interstate 86 saw a California-plated sedan merge onto northbound Interstate 15 without signaling. When the trooper initiated a traffic stop near milepost 74 in Bannock County, the driver refused to pull over, sparking a pursuit.
The chase continued into a construction zone where traffic had been rerouted onto southbound U.S. Highway 91. ISP says the driver used the right shoulder to pass multiple semi-trucks, hit a construction sign and disregarded the directions of construction flaggers.
The sedan then headed toward the Fort Hall Indian Reservation, where the Fort Hall Police Department deployed spike strips that successfully disabled the vehicle, according to a news release.
The 40-year-old driver from Fargo, North Dakota, was taken into custody without further incident.
A search of the vehicle uncovered a significant haul of illegal drugs, according to ISP. There was roughly one pound of fentanyl powder, two pounds of methamphetamine, more than two pounds of cocaine and a half-pound of marijuana.
The driver was booked into the Bingham County Jail on probable cause for trafficking fentanyl, trafficking methamphetamine, trafficking cocaine, felony marijuana possession and felony eluding.
“This seizure highlights the value of having a dedicated team focused on disrupting drug trafficking across Idaho,” Lt. Ryan Hoxie said in a statement.
The operation is part of Gov. Brad Little’s Esto Perpetua initiative, which supports ISP’s Domestic Highway Enforcement team. It consists of a 14-trooper, multijurisdictional narcotics task force that includes seven canine handlers positioned across the state. The team uses intelligence-driven strategies, partnerships with local prosecutors and agencies, and advanced interdiction techniques to combat drug trafficking.