TUCSON, Ariz. – Customs and Border Protection officers at Arizona’s Port of Nogales arrested a 14 year-old yesterday as he attempted to smuggle more than two pounds of methamphetamine.
Officers working at the Morley Gate Crossing Thursday afternoon referred the 14-year-old U.S. citizen for a secondary inspection. During the inspection, a canine’s alert led to the discovery of more than two pounds of methamphetamine, worth in excess of $3,000.
Officers arrested the subject for narcotics smuggling, and seized the drugs before turning 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 for 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.