Nogales CBP Officers Seize $728K in Hard Drugs

TUCSON, Ariz. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Port of Nogales arrested one U.S. citizen and five Mexican nationals during weekend smuggling attempts involving a combined 169 pounds of cocaine and methamphetamine worth an estimated $728,000.

On Saturday, officers at the Mariposa crossing referred a 56-year-old Mexican male for an additional search of his Chevrolet sedan. Using a CBP narcotics-detection canine, officers located 27 pounds of meth, valued at $81,000 in the vehicle’s rocker panels.

Later that day, officers at the Dennis DeConcini crossing referred a 27-year-old Tucson woman for further search of her Honda sedan and found 18 pounds of meth, worth close to $54,000, hidden within the rear quarter panels.

On Sunday, officers at the DeConcini crossing made multiple seizure. The first incident occurred when officers referred a 37-year-old Mexican man and his 33-year-old Mexican female passenger for further inspection of his Volkswagen sedan. Using a CBP narcotics-detection canine, officers located nearly 30 pounds of meth, valued at nearly $88,000, in the vehicle’s rocker and quarter panels.

A short time later, officers referred a 25-year-old Mexican female for further inspection of her Dodge sedan and found nearly 26 pounds of cocaine, worth approximately $292,000 and five pounds of meth, worth $16,000 within the vehicle. Later that morning, officers referred a 30-year-old Mexican man for further inspection of his Dodge van and discovered 66 pounds of meth, worth $198,000.

Officers seized the drugs and vehicles involved, and turned the subjects over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.

Federal law allows officers to charge individuals by complaint, a method that allows for filing of charges for criminal activity without inferring guilt. An individual is presumed innocent unless and until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

CBP's Office of Field Operations is the primary organization within Homeland Security tasked with an anti-terrorism mission at our nation’s ports. CBP officers screen all people, vehicles and goods entering the United States while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. Their mission also includes carrying out border-related duties, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration and trade laws, and protecting the nation's food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases.

-CBP-

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between official ports of entry. CBP’s mission includes keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws. Follow us on Twitter @CBPArizona.

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