Traffic stop conducted in Citrus County on SR 589 results in drug arrest
Photos courtesy of the FHP.
Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) Troop C
At 6:15 pm on Friday, February 21, 2025, a Florida Highway Patrol Trooper, traveling along the Suncoast Parkway (State Road 589) in Citrus County, Florida, conducted a traffic stop that resulted in a drug arrest.
The traffic stop occurred due to the trooper spotting a Mercedes sport utility vehicle (SUV) with an illegal window tint in an area near Milepost 66, between Lecanto, Florida and Crystal River, Florida.
During the traffic stop, the trooper discovered 18½ pounds of marijuana and a concealed weapon, a Glock 40mm handgun, inside the vehicle.
The driver, 27-year-old Artha Hopkins of Homosassa, Florida, was arrested on drug and weapons charges and delivered to the Citrus County Detention Facility in Lecanto, Florida.