A Russian national was arrested with approximately 800 pounds of methamphetamine during a traffic stop on I-12 in Livingston Parish, Louisiana, an amount authorities are calling one of the largest drug seizures in the state's history.
Anton Vitalyevich Rakov was pulled over in his 18-wheeler on Tuesday. Deputies with the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office discovered the significant quantity of drugs after arresting Rakov for his illegal status in the United States. The methamphetamine was found concealed in the trailer of the semi-truck.
Sheriff Jason Ard stated that the seizure was one of the largest in Livingston Parish and Louisiana. The recovered methamphetamine weighed approximately 358.14 kilograms, or 789.56 pounds. Photos released by the sheriff's office show large bricks of what appears to be methamphetamine wrapped in tinfoil, spread out on tables, and stacked in large bins.
Rakov, described as a "deportable Russian national," was taken into custody and transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Authorities have not yet disclosed the specific reason for the initial traffic stop.
The Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office has been involved in other significant methamphetamine seizures. In February, the office confiscated about 361 pounds of methamphetamine during a traffic stop. The suspects in that case, identified as Jostin Antonio Orellana-Romero and Edenilson Alexander Castaneda-Del Valle, were Honduran and Salvadoran nationals, respectively, and were also found to be in the country illegally. In March, a multi-agency task force seized approximately 325 pounds of narcotics hidden within an 18-wheeler. The suspects in that seizure were identified as Mexican nationals.