TUCSON, Ariz. ;– U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations officers, at Arizona’s Port of Nogales arrested two women and one man in separate drug seizures totaling approximately $508,000.
On Sunday, officers referred a 37-year-old Phoenix woman, for additional inspection of her Chevrolet sedan, as she attempted to enter the U.S. During the inspection, CBP officers discovered a plaster figurine with multiple drug packages hidden inside. The drugs were determined to be nearly 4 pounds of fentanyl, almost 3 pounds of cocaine, and close to 11 pounds of heroin, worth more than $150,000.
of fentanyl, cocaine and heroin from
within a plaster figurine
Earlier that day, officers encountered a 59-year-old Mexican national driving a Lincoln SUV attempting to enter the country. CBP officers referred him to the inspection lot and were assisted by a narcotics detection canine. The dog alerted to a scent it is trained to detect, with a subsequent search resulting in the discovery of more than 1.3 pounds of fentanyl and almost 91 pounds of methamphetamine concealed throughout the vehicle. The drugs have an estimated street value of nearly $106,000.
On the same day, CBP officers referred a 27-year-old Mexican national driving a Nissan sedan for further inspection. A CBP narcotic detection canine alerted to a scent it is trained to detect and officers were led to the vehicle’s floor compartment. The subsequent search resulted in the discovery of more than 30 pounds of cocaine and .26 pounds of fentanyl. The drugs have an estimated value of more than $331,000.
Officers seized the drugs and vehicles, while the subjects were arrested and then turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.