Lukeville, AZ - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers stopped three smuggling attempts this past weekend at the Lukeville, Ariz., Port of Entry, seizing more than 271 pounds of marijuana with a street value close to $608,000.
On March 5 at approximately 5:20 p.m., a 25-year-old man from Mexico arrived at the Lukeville Port of Entry from Mexico driving a 1999 model sedan. The primary officer referred the vehicle to secondary inspection because discrepancies with the vehicle and inconsistencies with answers to routine questions.
CBP officers at secondary, assisted by a narcotics detector canine, discovered 14 packages of marijuana concealed in a special compartment in the trunk area. The officers removed more than 66 pounds of marijuana and arrested the driver. The vehicle, marijuana and driver were turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agents for further investigation.
On March 6 at approximately 3:00 p.m., an SUV driven by a 51-year-old man from the United States arrived at the Lukeville Port of Entry from Mexico. The primary officer referred the vehicle to secondary inspection because of discrepancies with the vehicle and inconsistencies with answers to routine questions.
CBP officers at secondary discovered marijuana in two steel boxes built inside the gas tank. The officers removed more than 93 pounds of marijuana and arrested the driver. The vehicle, marijuana and driver were turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agents for further investigation.
On March 7 at approximately 6:50 p.m., an SUV driven by a 24-year-old woman from Mexico arrived at the Lukeville Port of Entry. The woman was accompanied by her husband and two children. The primary officer referred the vehicle to secondary inspection based on discrepancies with the vehicle and inconsistencies with answers to routine questions.
With the aid of a narcotics detector canine and other inspectional tools, officers at secondary discovered marijuana in the gas tank. They removed more than 111 pounds of marijuana contained in 104 packages. The driver was arrested and the vehicle and marijuana were seized and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agents for further investigation.
While anti-terrorism is the primary mission of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the inspection process at the ports of entry associated with this mission results in significant numbers of enforcement actions in all categories.