Naples New Year’s Day traffic stop turns up large drug stash

NAPLES, Fla. — The Naples Police Department says a routine traffic stop in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day led to the seizure of a large amount of illegal drugs, including fentanyl. According to police, officers stopped a vehicle on January 1, 2026, after it failed to stop at a flashing red traffic signal at 3rd Street South and Broad Avenue South.

Police say officers smelled marijuana while speaking with the occupants and observed suspicious behavior from the front-seat passenger, later identified as Rina M. Larson, 30, of Tampa. According to the department, evidence visible inside the vehicle and subsequent testing gave officers probable cause to search the vehicle and its occupants. During the search, police say officers recovered oxycodone, amphetamine, marijuana, cocaine, and 22.6 grams of fentanyl. The department notes that, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, as little as 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal, making the amount recovered potentially deadly to nearly 11,000 people.

According to police, Larson was arrested and charged with multiple felony offenses, including drug trafficking, possession of controlled substances, possession of drug paraphernalia, and firearm violations. The department says the driver, Joshua Caleb Cunningham, 33, of Lakeland, was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and cited for traffic violations, including failing to stop at a flashing red signal and possessing an open alcoholic beverage container.