TUCSON, Ariz. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations officers at the Port of Nogales arrested four U.S. citizens in failed drug smuggling attempts of heroin and fentanyl over the last several days.
On September 6, CBP officers at the DeConcini Crossing referred a 45-year-old woman for further inspection of her Mazda sedan, as she attempted to enter the United States. A CBP narcotics detection canine alerted officers to an odor it was trained to detect, leading officers to several packages concealed throughout the vehicle. The packages were identified as more than 60 pounds of heroin with a street value of nearly $685,000.
of heroin that was hidden throughout a
smuggling vehicle
A few hours later, a 16-year-old U.S. citizen encountered by officers at the Morley Pedestrian Crossing was sent for further inspection. During the search, the teen was found to have a quarter-pound of fentanyl hidden in his groin. The drugs have an estimated street value of $2,600.
On the same day, an 18-year-old Phoenix resident was referred for further inspection by CBP officers assigned at the Mariposa Pedestrian Crossing as she attempted to enter the United States from Mexico. Officers discovered almost a half-pound of fentanyl hidden in her groin area. The drugs have an estimated street value of approximately $4,000.
Monday, officers at the Morley Pedestrian Crossing referred a 21-year-old woman for further inspection as she attempted to enter the country. During the search, two packages were found to be concealed in her groin area. The packages contained a pound of fentanyl with a street value of more than $13,600.
The subjects were arrested and turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The drugs and vehicles were seized.