Sheriff's detectives seized nearly $2 million in methamphetamine during a traffic stop in the Arizona desert, officials said Monday.
Israel Tellez-Nava, 35, of Las Vegas, was pulled over Thursday night in westbound lanes of Interstate 40 near the DW Ranch Road exit in Kingman, Arizona, Mohave County Sheriff's spokeswoman Anita Mortensen said.
The pullover was based on "several traffic violations" observed by a detective "that led to the traffic stop," Morensen added.
Tellez-Nava was the driver and only person in the car where "bundles of methamphetamine" were "in plain view during the traffic stop," according to a sheriff's statement.
Deputies said they seized 43 pounds of methamphetamine, with an estimated street value of $1.9 million dollars, from the car.
"This was a ridiculously significant" arrest and narcotics seizure, Mortesen told NBC News. "I-40 is highly used to traffic illegal drugs."
Tellez-Nava was in jail on Monday, held in lieu of $250,000 bail, officials said. He's been charged with transportation of dangerous drugs for sale, possession of dangerous drugs, and possession of dangerous drugs for sale.
It wasn't clear if Tellez-Nava had hired an attorney by Monday.
