(ISP Press Release, May 20, 2026)
BINGHAM COUNTY, Idaho – The Idaho State Police Domestic Highway Enforcement (DHE) team seized a large quantity of narcotics following a vehicle pursuit near Pocatello.
Just before midnight on May 18, a DHE trooper patrolling Interstate 86 observed a sedan with California license plates turn northbound onto Interstate 15 without signaling. When the trooper attempted a traffic stop near milepost 74 in Bannock County, the driver failed to yield, prompting a pursuit.
The pursuit continued through a construction zone, where traffic was diverted onto southbound U.S. Highway 91. During the pursuit, the sedan used the right shoulder to pass several semi-trucks, struck a construction sign, and ignored directions from a construction flagging crew. The vehicle continued toward the Fort Hall Indian Reservation, where the Fort Hall Police Department successfully deployed spike strips, bringing the vehicle to a stop.
The driver, a 40-year-old man from Fargo, North Dakota, was arrested without further incident.
Troopers searched the vehicle and located approximately one pound of fentanyl powder, two pounds of methamphetamine, more than two pounds of cocaine, and one-half pound of marijuana.
The driver was booked into the Bingham County Jail on probable cause for trafficking fentanyl, trafficking methamphetamine, trafficking cocaine, felony possession of marijuana, and felony eluding.
“This seizure highlights the value of having a dedicated team focused on disrupting drug trafficking across Idaho,” Lt. Ryan Hoxie said. “Through support of Gov. Little’s Esto Perpetua initiative, DHE proactively targets the criminal organizations bringing dangerous narcotics into our state. These drugs continue to devastate Idaho families and communities, and our troopers work every day to identify traffickers, stop illegal drugs from reaching our communities, and arrest offenders.”
As part of Gov. Brad Little’s Esto Perpetua initiative, ISP’s Domestic Highway Enforcement team is a proactive multijurisdictional narcotics task force made up of 14 troopers, including seven canine handlers, stationed throughout Idaho to combat emerging criminal trends using advanced interdiction techniques, intelligence-driven enforcement, and partnerships with local prosecutors and allied agencies.
Supported through the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program, the team works to identify, disrupt, and dismantle local, multistate, and international drug trafficking organizations through coordinated, multiagency enforcement efforts designed to keep Idaho communities safe. Additionally, the team works through an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding for multiagency drug enforcement initiatives, ensuring the effectiveness of operations.
