Contributed Photo/Courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection: Officers removed packages of meth from the doors and quarter panels of the smuggling vehicle.
Contributed Article/Courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection
TUCSON – U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, officers arrested 2 U.S. citizens and a Mexican national for separate alleged attempts to smuggle more than 194 pounds of methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin and cocaine through the Port of San Luis over the weekend.
Officers referred a 23-year-old Yuma resident for additional inspection of his Honda sedan as he attempted to enter the U.S. early Friday morning. After a CBP narcotics detection canine alerted to a scent it was trained to detect coming from the vehicle’s doors and quarter panels, a search led to the discovery of 80 packages of meth that weighed more than 86 pounds, and have an estimated value of more than $259,000.
Saturday morning, officers referred a 20-year-old Mesa woman for a further search of her Honda sedan as she attempted to enter the U.S. A CBP canine alerted officers to the presence of drugs in the trunk as well as the rear quarter panels. More than 70 packages of drugs were removed nearly 2 pounds of fentanyl, worth $21,000 as well as more than 23 pounds of meth, with a value of more than $70,000.
Later that evening, officers referred a 30-year-old Mexican female for an additional inspection of her Honda van, when she attempted to enter the U.S. A canine alert led officers to 60 packages of drugs hidden throughout the van.
The drugs were identified as nearly 55 pounds of meth, worth nearly $164,000; nearly 26 pounds of cocaine, worth over $620,000: and more than 2-and-a-half pounds of heroin, worth more than $68,000.
Officers seized the drugs and the vehicles, while the subjects were arrested and then turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
