TUCSON, Ariz. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers arrested a 23-year-old legal permanent resident alien from Mexico Thursday morning in connection to a failed smuggling attempt at Arizona’s Port of San Luis.
Officers referred the man for further inspection of his Mazda sedan when he attempted to enter the U.S. from Mexico. A CBP canine alerted to an odor it was trained to detect, prompting a further search of the vehicle’s rocker panels. Officers found more than 65 pounds of methamphetamine, with an estimated value of almost $196,000.
CBP officers arrested the subject for narcotics smuggling and seized his vehicle and drugs. Officers then turned the subject 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.
