How Oklahoma traffic stops protect communities from illegal drug activity

Law enforcement has cracked down on drug trafficking on Oklahoma highways. Experts say traffickers move their products through Oklahoma to other parts of the country. 

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol recently busted a semi driver with 3,100 pounds of marijuana. Officials said these traffic stops can protect communities from more dangerous crimes. 

Stopping illegal drug activity requires the collaboration of several agencies and the ability to read between the lines. Investigators who specialize in this area must stay one step ahead of people who make a living from deception. Mark Woodward with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics said Oklahoma traffic can hide illegal activity in plain sight. 

“If you don’t look very carefully, you may miss it,” Woodward said. “There’s no limits to the imagination of the criminal.” 

Woodward said Oklahoma's Highways provide prime real estate for drug traffickers. 

“Our highway system is somewhat unique,” Woodward said. “A lot of the traffickers are using two primary points of entry. Whether that’s Ciudad in El Paso or Tijuana, San Diego, those hit I-35 and I-40, which bisect in downtown Oklahoma City.” 

On March 22, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol pulled a California semi-truck over about a mile from the Arkansas border in Sequoyah County, according to federal court records. The trooper noticed the driver’s paperwork was missing key information. The trooper said he smelled marijuana coming from the trailer and later discovered 3,100 pounds of marijuana, court records said. 

Woodward said investigative observation is often the difference in catching drug offenders. OHP arrested Tianxiang Li, who faces a federal drug trafficking charge. If convicted, he faces a minimum of 10 years in prison and a $10 million fine. 

Woodward remembered a traffic stop five decades ago that led to a high-profile arrest. 

“Back in the ‘80s, there was a vehicle that broke down on I-40 out in Seminole County,” Woodward said. “The federal government took down Manuel Noriega, the President of Panama.” 

Woodward said that case was an example of what a single traffic stop can solve. 

“The grand jury said a lot of the key evidence came from the individual that was arrested here in Oklahoma and the information they got from him,” Woodward said. 

Woodward said traffickers don’t stop at drugs and often commit violent crimes. 

“They’re involved in homicides, extortion, human trafficking, sex trafficking,” Woodward said. 

He said the burden falls on investigators to keep up with traffickers and keep communities safe. 

“You just never know how one traffic stop can snowball into a large conspiracy investigation,” Woodward said.