Drug Seizure Makes for Sticky Mess at Nogales Port

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TUCSON, Ariz. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Mariposa Commercial Facility in Nogales arrested a tractor-trailer driver Tuesday after discovering 6,500 pounds of marijuana in a shipment of strawberry jam.

CBP officers working with a narcotics-detection canine discovered the marijuana, worth an estimated $3.25 million, and arrested the 51-year-old male driver from Nogales, Sonora, Mexico.

Officers seized the drugs, vehicle and commodity, and turned the subject over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.

This marijuana load is the 15th largest seized by officers from CBP’s Tucson Field Office. Officers at the Mariposa Facility seized 10,000 pounds of marijuana earlier this month – the 8th largest and worth $5 million – found in a shipment labeled as vacuum pump parts.

Federal law allows officers to charge individuals by complaint, a method that allows the 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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SENTRI Hours Extended at the Port of Nogales

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TUCSON, Ariz. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials announced today that the vehicle Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection (SENTRI) lane at the Port of Nogales’s DeConcini crossing will now be open from 6 a.m. until midnight, on weekends, starting Friday, Dec. 23.

“We are extending the operating hours for the SENTRI lanes at the DeConcini crossing to enhance the trusted traveler’s border crossing experience. Additionally, we are hopeful that others will notice the benefits and be encouraged to apply for the Trusted Traveler Program,” said Joe Agosttini, Acting Port Director.

Previously, the SENTRI vehicle lane was open 6 a.m. until 10 p.m., seven days a week.

SENTRI is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection program that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States. Participants may enter the United States by using dedicated primary lanes into the United States at Southern land border ports. Travelers must be pre-approved for the SENTRI program. All applicants undergo a rigorous background check and in-person interview before enrollment. Interested parties may visit https://goes-app.cbp.dhs.gov/goes/jsp/login.jsp to apply.

Travelers may also consult the CBP website to monitor border wait times. Information is updated hourly and is useful in planning trips and identifying periods of light usage and or shorter waits.

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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Drug Seizures Keep CBP Officers Busy in Nogales

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Customs and Border Protection officers arrested two people last Friday, for their alleged involvement in separate attempts to smuggle a combined 100 pounds of methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and marijuana worth more than a half-million-dollars through the Port of Nogales.

Officers working with a CBP narcotics-detection canine at the Mariposa crossing found more than 40 pounds of cocaine, meth and heroin, worth $488,000, in a Cadillac sedan driven by a 44-year-old Mexican woman from Nogales, Sonora, Mexico. The drugs were found within both rocker panels.

Later that night, officers at the Mariposa crossing found 52 pounds of marijuana, with a value of $26,000, in a Ford SUV driven by a 20-year-old Mexican man from Magdalena, Sonora, Mexico. The drugs were located within the gas tank.

Officers seized the drugs and vehicles, and turned both 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 the 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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Lukeville CBP Canines Continue to Produce Results

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LUKEVILLE, Ariz. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations officers seized 184 pounds of marijuana, worth an estimated $91,000, over the weekend at Arizona’s Port of Lukeville.

After CBP officers selected a Ford sedan for a secondary inspection on Friday (Dec. 16), a CBP narcotics-detection canine alerted to the inside of the trunk and behind the back seats. The 22-year-old driver, from Yuma, Ariz., was taken into custody and officers removed packages from the vehicle which weighed 60 pounds and are worth $30,000.

Sunday, officers referred an Infiniti sedan being driven by a 45-year-old Tucson man for further inspection. A canine alert to the back doors and rocker panels, led to the discovery and removal of 124 pounds of marijuana, worth $62,000.

The drugs and vehicles have been seized. Both subjects were turned 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 the 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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Border Patrol Finds Missing Girl

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TUCSON, Ariz. – On Sunday, a Tucson Sector Border Patrol agent found a missing 11-year-old girl near Bisbee, Arizona.

Around 6 p.m. an agent assigned to the Brian A. Terry Station was patrolling near Bisbee when he encountered a young girl by herself. The agent tried to ask the girl if she was alone, but the child did not speak clearly enough to be understood.

Cochise County Sheriff’s Office was contacted and they informed agents that they had recently received a 911 call for a missing 11-year-old girl. The girl’s residence was approximately a quarter mile from the location where the agent encountered her.

The girl’s mother and aunt were contacted, and family members were reunited with the child by Border Patrol with assistance from Cochise County Sheriff’s Office.

Customs and Border Protection welcomes assistance from the community. Citizens can report suspicious activity to the Border Patrol and remain anonymous by calling 1-877-872-7435 toll free.

CBP~

U.S. Customs and Border Protection, parent agency of the U.S. Border Patrol, 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. Follow us on Twitter @CBPArizona.

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CBP Officers at Port of Douglas, Seize More Than $157,000 in Marijuana

www.notimx.mx

TUCSON, Ariz. – Customs and Border Protection officers arrested a Mexican national yesterday in connection with a failed attempt to smuggle more than 300 pounds of marijuana through the Raul Hector Castro Port of Douglas.

Officers arrested a 23-year-old man, driving a Chevrolet SUV, from Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico, on Dec. 15 after a CBP narcotics-detection canine alerted officers to marijuana scattered throughout the vehicle.

Officers seized the drugs and vehicle, and turned the subject over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.

Federal law allows officers to charge individuals by complaint, a method that allows the 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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Agentes de la Patrulla Fronteriza en Yuma rescatan a cinco en un canal

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YUMA, Ariz. – Agentes del Sector de Yuma, respondieron a un reporte de individuos intentando cruzar la frontera ilegalmente. El grupo de migrantes saltaron en el Canal Salinity cerca de San Luis, Ariz., para escapar el arresto.

Los agentes observaron a los individuos tratar de nadar sobre las aguas frías y rápidas, y era evidente que el grupo no lograba llegar a cual quiera lado del canal. Agentes utilizaron aparatos de rescate y sacaron a los cinco individuos seguramente.

El grupo fue tratado para exposición y trasladados a la estación de Yuma para procesamiento y examen. Todos los individuos fueron identificados como nacionales de México.

La Patrulla Fronteriza valora la asistencia de la comunidad. Favor de reportar cualquier actividad sospechosa llamando al número gratuito 1-877-872-7435. Todas las llamadas serán contestadas y permanecerán anónimas.

-CBP-

La Oficina de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza de los EE.UU. (CBP por sus siglas en inglés) es la agencia fronteriza ubicada dentro del Departamento de Seguridad Nacional encargada de la gestión, control y protección de las fronteras de nuestra nación en y entre los puertos oficiales de entrada. CBP se encarga de mantener a terroristas y las armas de terroristas fuera del país, y de aplicar cientos de leyes de inmigración de EU.

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