Angel Lazala-Soto Sentenced to 70 Months After Crittenden County Stop

Angel Lazala‑Soto, 60, of Bani, Dominican Republic, was sentenced March 6, 2026 to 70 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine tied to a Crittenden County traffic stop, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas said.

Arkansas State Police arrested Lazala‑Soto on Aug. 29, 2024 during a traffic stop in Crittenden County after discovering seven kilos of cocaine in the trunk of his car, prosecutors reported. The quantity seized at the scene moved the case into federal jurisdiction and led to a grand jury indictment the following March on one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

Lazala‑Soto pleaded guilty to the single count on Oct. 23, 2025, according to court filings and announcements from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors recommended federal sentencing under statutes tied to trafficking offenses; the court imposed a 70‑month imprisonment term on March 6, 2026 and added a five‑year term of supervised release following incarceration.

U.S. Attorney Jonathan D. Ross for the Eastern District of Arkansas announced the sentence and noted the federal system’s rules on release. Ross said, "There is no parole in the federal system." The office identified the sentence in its announcement and attributed the timeline from arrest through plea to the federal prosecution in Little Rock.

KAIT reporting and the U.S. Attorney’s Office also detailed Lazala‑Soto’s prior record. Prosecutors said he was previously convicted in 2009 for attempted re‑entry by a previously deported alien and received a 30‑month federal prison sentence. KAIT listed additional felony convictions, including criminal mischief, grand larceny, a prior possession with intent to distribute cocaine, assault with a dangerous weapon, and two convictions for possession of stolen property, and reported that Ross said Lazala‑Soto was in the country illegally.

The sentencing resolves the federal case tied to the Aug. 29, 2024 traffic stop in Crittenden County; the U.S. Attorney’s Office identified the judgment and the sentence imposed. Lazala‑Soto will serve the term in federal custody and, upon release, face five years of supervised release as specified in the federal judgment.