On Saturday, agents assigned to the State Route 191 immigration checkpoint referred a white Chevrolet pickup truck for a secondary inspection after a Border Patrol canine alerted to an odor it was trained to detect. A search of the truck revealed more than 220 pounds of marijuana, worth in excess of $110,000, concealed within suitcases in the truck’s bed.
at the SR191 checkpoint
and a canine alerted to
suitcases, which contained
more than 200 pounds of
marijuana
Agents arrested the male driver, a 66-year-old U.S. citizen, for contraband smuggling, and transported the truck and marijuana to the Willcox Border Patrol Station for further processing.
On Sunday, the same Border Patrol canine team was working at the State Route 90 immigration checkpoint when the canine alerted to an odor it was trained to detect coming from a silver Mazda 6. Agents conducted a secondary inspection and discovered a 26 year-old Mexican man in the trunk.
Agents arrested the driver and a front-seat passenger, both U.S. citizens, for smuggling. The Mexican national is being processed for immigration violations.
Smuggling humans in the trunk of a vehicle is dangerous anytime. The possibility of a collision or fire could prove fatal. On hot Arizona days, riding in the trunk of a vehicle can also result in death due to poor ventilation and excessive heat buildup.
