TUCSON, Ariz. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, officers arrested a 65-year-old Mexican national for attempted drug smuggling at the Port of Lukeville, June 1.
Saturday morning, CBP officers referred the man to the secondary inspection area in his Ford sedan as he applied to enter the United States from Mexico. A CBP canine alerted to an odor it is trained to detect, leading officers to an ice chest located in the trunk.
was found in the trunk of a 65-year-old
Mexican applying for entrance to the
U.S. at the Lukeville Port of Entry June 1.
Officers discovered several concealed packages containing nearly eight pounds of methamphetamine, worth more than $23,000; and 1.76 ounces of fentanyl, worth approximately $1,500.
The drugs and vehicle were seized. Officers arrested the man and turned him 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.