Operation Countermeasure Leads to Heroin Seizure

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Tucson, Ariz. – Pima County Sheriff Deputies and Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents seized 7.5 pounds of heroin, valued at almost $131,000, during a joint operation Jan. 17.

While participating in “Operation Countermeasure”, deputies and agents stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation. During the encounter, the driver consented to a search of the vehicle that led to the discovery of narcotics hidden in an ice chest within the vehicle’s cargo area.

The driver, a male U.S. citizen, was arrested and booked into the Pima County Detention Facility on charges of possession and transportation of a dangerous drug for sale.

Operation Countermeasure is a multi-agency cooperative effort among law enforcement agencies along the southern Arizona border.

An individual is presumed innocent unless and until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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

~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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UPDATE: Tucson Sector Border Patrol Agent’s Vehicle Shot

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Tucson, Ariz. – Cochise County prosecutors have charged two juvenile boys with endangerment and felony criminal damage in connection with the Dec. 30, 2016 shooting of a Border Patrol vehicle near Sierra Vista, Arizona.

The investigation was kicked off after a United States Border Patrol vehicle was shot at Friday December 30, 2016, at approximately 5:30 p.m. MST. The agent, who was not injured, was operating a mobile surveillance unit south of Sierra Vista, Arizona, at the time of the incident.

The agent did not return fire.

Multiple Customs and Border Protection personnel and local law enforcement responded to the area in an effort to locate the suspects who fled on foot.

The suspects remained at large until the parents of the two boys, ages 15 and 16, contacted authorities after recognizing them in a picture of the suspects that was publicly posted by the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office during the investigation.

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

~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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Tucson Air Branch helps FBI with AMBER Alert

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Two teams from the Air and Marine Operation’s Tucson Air Branch (TAB), responding to an Amber Alert released today out of Chandler, Arizona, joined with the FBI and Navajo Nation police to locate a missing girl, and detain a male suspect involved in her disappearance.

The Amber Alert was issued Jan. 16 for a 15-year-old girl last seen in Chandler, Arizona.

After the FBI obtained information on the girl’s possible location on the Navajo Nation, the TAB launched two aircrews to help the FBI and Navajo Nation Police Department search for the girl and man suspected of taking her.

A TAB helicopter had to land several times while tracking the duo, according to one pilot. “Again and again we would find their trail, track it, lose it, land to find it again, take off to follow it and lose it again.”

Searchers eventually located the man and girl north of Tuba City. The FBI took the man into custody and the girl was reunited with her family.

“This is an example of how Air and Marine Operations is ready to assist its partner law enforcement agencies when needed,” said Tucson Air Branch Director Mitch Pribble.

Several other agencies were also involved in the search effort, including the Chandler Police Department, Coconino County Sheriff's Office, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, and the Page Police Department.

The Amber Alert Program, named for Amber Hagerman, a 9-year old girl abducted while riding her bicycle in Arlington, Texas, and later found murdered, is a voluntary partnership between law enforcement agencies and the wireless industry. The goal of an AMBER Alert is to instantly galvanize the entire community to assist in the search for and the safe return of the child, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

~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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Nogales CBP Officers Seize $211K Unreported Currency

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TUCSON, Ariz. – Customs and Border Protection officers at the Mariposa crossing in Nogales, Arizona, arrested a Mexican national Friday for attempting to transport almost $211,000 in unreported U.S. currency.

Officers conducting routine outbound inspections referred a 45-year-old man from Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, for an inspection of his Chevrolet truck and found the currency in the vehicle’s dashboard.

Officers seized the vehicle and currency, and turned the subject 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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Ajo Border Patrol Presents Multi-Agency Citizen’s Academy

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AJO, Ariz. – Agents from the Tucson Sector’s Ajo Border Patrol Station are accepting applications for the next multi-agency Citizen’s Academy, a six-week course meeting on Thursdays from 2 to 6 p.m., beginning Feb. 2.

Instructors will give participants an insight into the daily operations of Customs and Border Protection; while local law enforcement partners provide a first-hand look at what it takes to become an agent, officer, sheriff, park ranger or other government official along the southern border.

National Park and Wildlife Refuge rangers, and Arizona game wardens will talk about flora, fauna and the challenges they face along the Arizona border.

Attendees will also gain a greater understanding of how agents and officers perform their daily duties, and enforcement operations related to illegal cross-border activity.

This is a free program and includes all class materials. Minimum requirements involve a background check. Applicants should also be in good physical health and must be at least 18 years old.

Tucson Sector Border Patrol, part of Joint Task Force – West, Arizona, is committed to engaging in community outreach to strengthen relationships within border communities. Programs such as the Citizen’s Academy provide opportunities to enhance stakeholder awareness and develop positive relationships.

For more information, contact the Border Community Liaison Unit at the Ajo Station at 520-387-0571.

Additionally, interested parties may request information about joining a future CBP Citizen’s Academy by contacting the Tucson Sector’s Public Relations Office at 520-748-3210.

~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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Nogales CBP Officers Seize $211K Unreported Currency

www.notimx.mx

TUCSON, Ariz. – Customs and Border Protection officers at the Mariposa crossing in Nogales, Arizona, arrested a Mexican national Friday for attempting to transport almost $211,000 in unreported U.S. currency.

Officers conducting routine outbound inspections referred a 45-year-old man from Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, for an inspection of his Chevrolet truck and found the currency in the vehicle’s dashboard.

Officers seized the vehicle and currency, and turned the subject 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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UPDATE: Tucson Sector Border Patrol Agent’s Vehicle Shot

www.notimx.mx

Tucson, Ariz. – Cochise County prosecutors have charged two juvenile boys with endangerment and felony criminal damage in connection with the Dec. 30, 2016 shooting of a Border Patrol vehicle near Sierra Vista, Arizona.

The investigation was kicked off after a United States Border Patrol vehicle was shot at Friday December 30, 2016, at approximately 5:30 p.m. MST. The agent, who was not injured, was operating a mobile surveillance unit south of Sierra Vista, Arizona, at the time of the incident.

The agent did not return fire.

Multiple Customs and Border Protection personnel and local law enforcement responded to the area in an effort to locate the suspects who fled on foot.

The suspects remained at large until the parents of the two boys, ages 15 and 16, contacted authorities after recognizing them in a picture of the suspects that was publicly posted by the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office during the investigation.

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

~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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