State Patrol (1011NOW)LINCOLN, Neb. (Aug. 14, 2026 – KOLN) – A man was arrested after Nebraska State Patrol reportedly found 70 pounds of methamphetamines in his spare tire after an I-80 traffic stop near Lincoln. An NSP trooper was patrolling eastbound on I-80 on Wednesday when they saw a black pickup truck following a semi-truck too closely at 3:58 a.m. Troopers caught up to the vehicle and saw it cross over the center line seven time within a short distance while traveling through a construction zone and noticed that the vehicle’s left-side brake lamp was inoperable. NSP conducted a traffic stop near Lincoln. Court documents stated that the trooper contacted the driver, 27-year-old Felipe Simental, and examined the vehicle. The trooper also ran Simental’s name through the law enforcement database and found that he had an active warrant from a probation violation. A trooper brought a police service dog to further examine Simental’s vehicle. After the second search, troopers found a THC vape pen and a spare tire which had been filled with 70 vacuum-sealed bags containing suspected methamphetamine. In total, there was an estimated 70 pounds of suspected methamphetamine in the vehicle. Simental was charged with possession of over 140 grams of methamphetamine. His bond was set at 10% of $2 million, and his next court date is scheduled for Sept. 15. ...read more read less