CBP Officers Seize Drugs & Weapons

TUCSON, Ariz. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, officers arrested 2 Mexican nationals and four U.S. citizens for separate alleged attempts to smuggle 321 pounds of methamphetamine and marijuana through Arizona Ports of Entry worth nearly $214K over the weekend. One of the alleged smuggling attempts involved a cache of loaded weapons and ammunition.

Officers at the Port of Lukeville referred a 60-year-old Fort Mojave, Arizona, man for additional inspection of his Chevy SUV, as he attempted to enter the U.S. through the port Friday afternoon. The search of the vehicle led to the discovery of a cache of 8 loaded firearms, as well as nearly 2,000 rounds of assorted ammunition. Officers also recovered just more than one-pound of marijuana, worth $350. The weapons and ammunitions were seized.

Earlier that morning, officers at the Port of Lukeville referred a 29-year-old male and his 22-year-old passenger, both residents of Phoenix, for an additional search of his Dodge sedan as they attempted to enter the U.S. After a CBP narcotics detection canine alerted to a scent it is trained to detect, the search led to the discovery of nearly 50 packages hidden inside the gas tank. The contents were determined to be 65 pounds of meth, worth more than $58,000.

Saturday morning, officers at the Port of Douglas selected a 21-year-old Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico, man for an additional search of his Ford truck as he attempted to enter the U.S. through the port. A positive alert by a CBP canine led to the removal of more than 90 packages of drugs from under the hood and back wall of the trucks’ cab. They were identified as 124 pounds of marijuana, worth more than $37,000.

And on Sunday evening, officers at the Dennis DeConcini Crossing referred a 33-year-old Mexican female of Phoenix, for an additional search of her Nissan SUV. The search led to the seizure of nearly 132 pounds of meth from throughout the SUV, worth more than $118,000.

Officers seized the drugs and vehicles, while the subjects were arrested and then turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.

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