DENHAM SPRINGS — The Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office seized nearly 790 pounds of methamphetamine during a traffic stop involving an 18-wheeler on Interstate 12 East, authorities said.
According to LPSO, deputies with the K-9 Division identified the driver as Anton Vitalyevich Rakov, a Russian national whom authorities described as deportable. Rakov was taken into custody because of his immigration status.
A subsequent investigation of the tractor-trailer led narcotics agents to discover approximately 358.14 kilograms, or 789.56 pounds, of methamphetamine concealed inside the trailer, LPSO reported.
Sheriff Jason Ard described the seizure as one of the largest in Livingston Parish and Louisiana.
Rakov remained in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody as of the release. The investigation is ongoing.
