TUCSON, Ariz. – Customs and Border Protection officers at Arizona’s Port of Nogales arrested four individuals during separate smuggling attempts involving almost $840,000 worth of methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana.
Friday morning, officers referred a 23-year-old woman from Eloy, Arizona for a secondary inspection of her GMC SUV as she was returning to the U.S. through the Dennis DeConcini crossing. During the inspection, a CBP canine’s alert led officers to find almost 133 pounds of marijuana, worth in excess of $66,000, hidden throughout the vehicle.
of marijuana within a rear quarter panel
That afternoon, a 24-year-old man and his 22-year-old female passenger, both from Mexico, were referred for further inspection of their Hyundai SUV when they applied to enter the U.S. through the DeConcini crossing. As a result, a CBP narcotics-detection canine’s alert led officers to find more than 120 pounds of meth, valued in excess of $360,000, within the vehicle’s spare tire compartment.
from within a smuggling vehicle
Sunday morning, officers at the DeConcini crossing found more than 36 pounds of cocaine, worth approximately $413,000, within a quarter panel of a Dodge Caravan driven by a 42-year-old Mexican woman.
cocaine within a panel of a Dodge van
Officers arrested all subjects for narcotics smuggling and seized their vehicles, along with the drugs. All subjects were then turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.