YUMA, Ariz. – Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents arrested multiple United States citizens as they attempted to smuggle illegal aliens and methamphetamine through the Highway 78 and Interstate 8 Immigration Checkpoints in two separate events on Saturday.
In the first event at approximately 4:45 a.m., Blythe Station agents encountered a 2017 Ford Focus attempting to travel through the Highway 78 Immigration Checkpoint. Agents identified the driver as a 50-year-old U.S. citizen. The passenger, a 40-year-old U.S. citizen prohibited from possessing a firearm, was found in possession of a Taurus PT1911 and methamphetamine. The second passenger was identified as a 30-year-old Mexican national unlawfully present in the United States.
In the second event at approximately 8:20 a.m., Wellton Station agents working at the Interstate 8 Immigration Checkpoint referred a black 2001 Ford Mustang to the secondary inspection area for further investigation. While in the secondary inspection area, a Border Patrol canine positively alerted to an odor it was trained to detect. Agents discovered 14 packages of methamphetamine inside the rocker panels of the vehicle. The narcotics have a combined weight of 15.25 pounds and an approximate street value of $45,750. The driver of the vehicle and lone occupant was a minor from San Luis.
to the rocker panels of a smuggling
vehicle, where they found
methamphetamine
The U.S. citizens in both incidents were arrested for criminal violations. The illegal alien was processed for immigration violations.