Traffic Stop Leads To ICE Hold In Greene County

PARAGOULD, Ark. — A traffic stop in Greene County led to the arrest of a 45-year-old driver and an immigration hold, according to police.

Oliver Escobar Tovar, 45, was arrested on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, on suspicion of no driver’s license and expired tags.

Advertisement
Advertisement

According to the police report from the Paragould Police Department, an officer saw a Toyota Sienna van with Illinois plates traveling west on Highway 412 at about 5 a.m. The officer checked the vehicle registration and found the tags had expired in April 2025.

The officer stopped the vehicle near Highway 412 and South 14th Avenue. Tovar, who was driving, told police he did not have a driver’s license, registration, or proof of insurance. He provided a passport that was not stamped, according to the affidavit.

Tovar told police he was going from Chicago to Houston, Texas, and that the vehicle was going to be shipped to Honduras.

The officer contacted a Homeland Security Investigations investigator about the status of the passport. HSI advised that Tovar had already been deported and later contacted ICE to place a detainer on him at the Greene County Jail, according to the affidavit.

Tovar was then taken into custody and transported to the detention center on suspicion of no driver’s license and expired tags. Jail information also showed an ICE hold.

All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.