TUCSON, Ariz. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Port of Nogales’ Dennis DeConcini crossing Tuesday seized a combined 68 pounds of methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin worth more than $410,000.
Early in their shift, officers located nearly 22 pounds of meth, worth approximately $65,000, in the rear quarter panels of a Ford SUV driven by a 38-year-old woman from Peoria, Arizona, as she was returning from Mexico.
A short time later, officers referred a 40-year-old Mexican man from Nogales, Sonora, for a closer inspection of his Nissan sedan when he applied for entry into the U.S. Using a CBP narcotics-detection canine, officers located more than 31 pounds of meth and 2.5 pounds of cocaine hidden in the vehicle’s floor area. The drugs were estimated to be worth $123,000 combined.
That afternoon, officers referred a 47-year-old woman from Nogales, Arizona, for further inspection when she attempted to enter the U.S. via the pedestrian lanes. Officers found the woman to be in possession of close to 3 pounds of heroin, worth more than $45,000.
which a body carrier had attempted to hide
inside the back of her pants
Officers later referred a 26-year-old woman from Rio Rico, Arizona, for an additional inspection of her Honda sedan as she was returning from Mexico. A CBP narcotics-detection canine alerted to the vehicle’s back seats where officers found more than 10 pounds of heroin worth in excess of $178,000.
Officers arrested the three U.S. citizens and Mexican national, who were then turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; along with the drugs and vehicles involved.