From Tuesday, March 21, 2023, through Wednesday, March 22, 2023, the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Task Force (CVETF) held its annual “Operation Full House” detail at the Ehrenberg Port of Entry and on Interstate 10 near the Arizona/California state line.

Operation Full House is a two-day enforcement operation focused on zero-tolerance commercial motor vehicle (CMV) enforcement and education. Commercial vehicle inspectors from the Arizona Department of Transportation, AZDPS, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration participated in the detail with a focus on CMV driver and vehicle safety, hazardous and collision-causing violations by CMV operators, and passenger vehicles operating unsafely around commercial vehicles.

During the operation, inspectors completed 348 inspections and recorded 1,116 driver-vehicle examination report violations. Inspectors noted 45 hazardous moving violations,7 hazmat violations, and placed 80 drivers and 104 vehicles out of service.

The CVETF is comprised of AZDPS Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Bureau troopers and Arizona Department of Transportation Enforcement and Compliance Division officers. The mission of the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Task Force is to ensure safe, secure, and efficient commercial transport across Arizona.

On March 8, 2023, Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) troopers attempted to stop a green Ford F-250 pickup truck being driven by 30-year-old Luciano Kristoff. The vehicle was observed traveling at a high rate of speed on State Route 90 in Huachuca City. Unbeknownst to the state trooper, Kristoff had reportedly stolen the vehicle from its owner at a local business in Sierra Vista.

Kristoff fled from the attempted traffic stop and a pursuit ensued. As the pursuit approached the United Sates Border Patrol checkpoint on State Route 90, Kristoff lost control of the vehicle, resulting in a multi-vehicle crash with several vehicles waiting in line at the checkpoint. Kristoff sustained serious injuries and was transported to Banner University Medical Center in Tucson, where he was admitted in critical condition.

On March 18, 2023, Kristoff walked away from the hospital against the advice of medical practitioners.

Earlier today, March 29, 2023, Kristoff was found hiding in a vehicle that was stopped by the Tucson Police Department for an unrelated matter. Kristoff was taken into custody and transported to the Cochise County Jail, where troopers booked him on charges of aggravated assault, endangerment, and felony flight in connection to the events of March 8th.

Public safety agencies in Pima and Pinal counties will participate in an agency interoperability tabletop exercise at the Pima County Emergency Communications and Operations Center on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m.

The tabletop exercise will look at uses of interoperable radio communication, particularly in relation to large, multi-agency events requiring coordination between agencies. The goal of the tabletop exercise is to further establish consistent communication guidelines and evaluate emergency preparedness protocols.

Agencies participating in the exercise include:

• Arizona Department of Public Safety
• Marana Police Department
• Oro Valley Police Department
• Pima County Sheriff’s Department
• Pinal County Sheriff’s Office
• Tucson Fire Department
• Tucson Police Department
• Tucson Water
• United States Border Patrol
• Valley Emergency Communications Center

The Pima County Office of Emergency Management and the Arizona Division of Emergency Management will provide evaluators for the exercise.

Members of the media are invited to attend a media availability prior to the event. An RSVP should be sent to: [email protected]

Media Availability

Date: Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Time: 12:30 p.m. – 1 p.m. MST

Location: 3434 E. 22nd Street, Tucson, AZ 85713

AZDPS Representatives: Warren Trent (Public Information Manager) and Raul Garcia (Public Information Officer)

Questions related to this event can be directed to the AZDPS Public Information Office: [email protected]

On Wednesday, March 29, 2023, Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) Vehicle Theft Task Force (VTTF) detectives served a residential search warrant on a property in Wittmann. The warrant followed an investigation into several stolen vehicles observed on the property.

During service of the search warrant, detectives arrested one suspect and recovered six stolen vehicles, including:

• 2022 Polaris Razor
• 2016 Polaris Sportsman
• 2023 C&M flatbed trailer
• 2013 Sandstorm travel trailer
• 2014 Arctic Cat UTV
• 1999 Ford F350 pickup truck

The suspect, 22-year-old Juan Manuel Chavez Espinoza, was booked into the Maricopa County Jail on charges including four counts of theft of means of transportation.

The VTTF is comprised of city, county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies participating in a concerted effort to identify, apprehend, and prosecute individuals and criminal organizations that profit from the theft of motor vehicles and related crimes.

The VTTF serves a vital mission on behalf of the Arizona Automobile Theft Authority (AATA) to reduce vehicle theft in Arizona by deterring criminal activity through effective and proactive enforcement, prosecution and public awareness programs. The VTTF is substantially funded by an annual grant from the AATA. 

On Thursday, April 13, 2023, an Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) trooper stopped the driver of a Chevrolet pickup truck for non-moving violations on eastbound Interstate 8 near milepost 47, in Wellton, AZ. The trooper noted indicators of criminal activity during the stop, and a drug detection canine was deployed and alerted to the vehicle. During the ensuing vehicle search, troopers discovered approximately 109.4 pounds of suspected fentanyl pills concealed within the vehicle.

The suspect driver, 21-year-old Juan Jose Rivera Jr., a resident of Phoenix, was arrested and booked into the Yuma County Jail on charges including possession and transportation of a narcotic drug for sale.

The estimated street value of the fentanyl pills seized is approximately $1.9 million. 

Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) state troopers and Navajo County Sheriff’s Office (NCSO) deputies worked together to stop and apprehend a homicide suspect traveling from New Mexico into Arizona on Monday, April 17, 2023.

The suspect, Tawann Richardson, 23, was the subject of an active homicide warrant out of Oklahoma and a felony parole violation warrant out of Texas.

On Monday afternoon, AZDPS was notified Richardson was believed to be traveling westbound on Interstate 40 in a black Toyota Camry with Oklahoma license plates. Dispatchers relayed the information to troopers in the area, and troopers observed the suspect vehicle traveling westbound on Interstate 40 in Holbrook at approximately 3:40 p.m.

A trooper initiated a traffic stop on the suspect vehicle, but the suspect continued driving westbound and a pursuit ensued. NCSO deputies successfully deployed tire deflation devices, and Richardson eventually lost control of the vehicle and came to a stop in the median near milepost 271. Troopers took Richardson and a female passenger into custody without further incident. Richardson was booked into the Navajo County Jail on the outstanding warrants and also faces a felony charge of unlawful flight from law enforcement.

Phoenix, AZ — The Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) has awarded the Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) a $20,000.00 grant to fund overtime and other expenses for the upcoming “Buckle Up Arizona” enforcement campaign. The two-week campaign is set to begin on Monday, May 22nd, and will conclude on Sunday, June 4th, 2023.

As of April 23rd, Arizona State Troopers have investigated 103 fatal crashes on highways and interstates in 2023. Of the individuals killed in those crashes, 41 people were not wearing seat belts.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seat belt use reduces the risk of serious crash-related injuries and fatalities by approximately 50%.

“The partnership between the Department of Public Safety, the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, and our other law enforcement agencies is critical,” said Lieutenant Colonel Deston Coleman Jr., Assistant Director of the Highway Patrol Division. “We are all dedicated to reducing fatalities both through education and enforcing the use of seatbelts and child restraints.”

From Tuesday, May 16, 2023, through Thursday, May 18, 2023, the Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Task Force (CVETF) will participate in the annual operation “International Roadcheck” on Interstate 17 and Interstate 40 in northern Arizona.

International Roadcheck is a 72-hour inspection and enforcement operation led by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA). During this operation, CVSA-certified inspectors in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. will inspect commercial motor vehicles and drivers at weigh/inspection stations, designated inspection areas, and along roadways.

International Roadcheck also provides an opportunity for inspectors to educate the motor carrier industry and the public about the importance of safe commercial motor vehicle operations and the North American Standard Inspection Program.

This year, CVETF will emphasize anti-lock braking systems (ABS) and cargo securement to underscore their importance in overall vehicle and road safety.

Although ABS violations are not out-of-service conditions, ABS plays a critical role in reducing the risk of collisions by preventing the wheels from locking up or skidding, allowing a driver to maintain control of the vehicle while braking.

In addition, improper cargo securement poses a serious risk to drivers and other motorists by adversely affecting the vehicle’s maneuverability, or worse, causing unsecured loads to fall, resulting in roadway hazards and vehicle collisions.

The CVETF is comprised of AZDPS Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Bureau troopers and Arizona Department of Transportation Enforcement and Compliance Division officers. The mission of the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Task Force is to ensure safe, secure, and efficient commercial transport across Arizona.

Update: Friday, June 2, 2023 - Results of Operation International Roadcheck

During the three-day operation “International Roadcheck” from May 16, 2023, through May 18, 2023, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Task Force (CVETF) and participating agency inspectors completed 1,060 inspections and documented 2,374 violations. Inspectors noted 386 anti-lock braking system (ABS) violations and 67 load securement violations. In total, 77 drivers and 176 vehicles were placed out of service.

Enforcement areas included Interstate 40, Interstate 17, and ports of entry in St. George, Kingman, Topock, and Sanders.

During this operation, CVETF personnel worked with more than 100 inspectors, observers, and law enforcement partners from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Arizona Trucking Association, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, and Apache Junction, Buckeye, Eloy, Tucson, and Sedona police departments.

CVETF personnel also partnered with Wal-Mart for a special two-day “Share the Road” outreach event to educate all motorists on safe driving behaviors around large trucks.   

On Thursday, May 11, 2023, at approximately 1:57 a.m., Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) troopers were finishing an investigation at an earlier collision scene when they observed a wrong-way driver in a white Honda Civic pass them traveling southbound in the northbound HOV lane of State Route 51 near Shea Boulevard.

Two troopers immediately jumped in their patrol vehicles and reported the incident to dispatchers as they looped back on State Route 51 to get ahead of and intercept the wrong-way driver.

Both troopers intentionally collided with the wrong-way vehicle just north of Glendale Avenue, bringing it to a stop and effectively ending the threat to other motorists.

The troopers sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were treated and released from a local hospital.

The 81-year-old female wrong way driver was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Troopers determined the driver was confused and impairment was not a factor.