Feds Stop Meth, Human Smuggling in Arizona Over Weekend

06132016 TFO NOG 23kg meth1
Photo: U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Officers with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Border Patrol agents stopped the smuggling of drugs and humans in the Arizona desert over the weekend.

Border Patrol agents working in the Yuma Sector in southwest Arizona arrested a man on Friday who was allegedly smuggling four illegal aliens. The U.S. citizen was attempting to bypass the Interstate 8 checkpoint by way of the Dome Valley, information obtained by Breitbart Texas revealed. No information on the illegal aliens was revealed in the statement.

The following day, agents arrested a Mexican national at the checkpoint who was reported to be smuggling methamphetamine. A Border Patrol K-9 agent detected the presence of the narcotics during a routine secondary inspection. The driver of the vehicle was in possession of an Immigration Customs Enforcement form I-94 and a border crossing card.

An inspection of the vehicle’s engine compartment revealed 17 pounds of meth. The drugs were valued by officials at $51,000. The suspect was arrested and the vehicle and drugs were seized.

That same day, CBP officers working the Dennis DeConcini border crossing were approached by a woman driving a Mitsubishi SUV who was attempting to enter the U.S. from Mexico. The 45-year-old woman from Obregon, Sonora, Mexico, was asked to move her SUV to the secondary inspection area.

A subsequent search of her vehicle revealed numerous bundles of drugs hidden in the firewall. Officers discovered the bundles contained 51 pounds of methamphetamine. The shipment was valued at over $150,000 by officials.

“Our CBP officers have always produced effective results when it comes to interdicting illegal contraband,” Nogales Port Director Guadalupe Ramirez said in a CBP statement. “They have and will continue to make it difficult for criminal organizations to smuggle drugs through our ports of entry.”

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas and is a member of the original Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX.

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.