Douglas, Ariz. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers stopped a drug smuggling attempt when they apprehended two women trying to smuggle cocaine into the United States by concealing the cocaine in the front quarter panel of the vehicle they were driving.
On May 5 at a about 9:30 p.m. CBP officers were screening traffic coming from Mexico. The officers selected a 2002 Nissan Sentra being occupied by two women for further inspection. The driver was a 23-year-old woman and the passenger was a 24-year-old woman. Both women were identified as U.S. citizens and residents of Tucson, Ariz. With the assistance of a special trained K-9 team, the CBP officers discovered that the driver side quarter panel of the Nissan was loaded with packages of cocaine. The total weight of cocaine was nearly 15.5 pounds with an estimated street value of $698,000.
CBP officers seized the vehicle and the cocaine. The two women were turned over to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement for further investigation and prosecution.