TUCSON, Ariz. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, officers arrested five men and two women connected to separate attempts to smuggle more than 144 pounds of methamphetamine and fentanyl through Arizona Ports of Entry during the weekend.
Early Friday morning, CBP officers at the Port of San Luis referred a 21-year-old Mexican man for additional inspection of his Chevy sedan. Following a positive alert by a CBP narcotics detection canine to a scent it is trained to detect, the subsequent search of the vehicle led officers to 20 packages of drugs hidden in the front bumper. The drugs were determined to be approximately 47 pounds of methamphetamine, worth more than $47,300.
Later that evening, San Luis CBP officers referred a 17-year-old Mexican teenager for an additional search of his Jeep as he attempted to enter the U.S. A search of the vehicle along with a canine assist, led to the discovery of more than 40 pounds of meth in the vehicle’s quarter panels. The drugs have an estimated street value of more than $40,000.
On the same day, officers at the Port of San Luis selected a 27-year-old U.S. citizen man, for an additional inspection as he attempted to enter the U.S. through the pedestrian lane. A positive alert by a CBP canine led to the removal of two packages of fentanyl pills from his pants. The packages contained nearly three pounds of meth, worth more than $2,500.
On Saturday and Sunday, CBP officers assigned at the Port of San Luis also encountered two additional violators attempting to smuggle hard drugs through the pedestrian lanes. In the first case, a 16-year-old teenager was found with a package of meth taped around his buttocks. The drugs weighed more than .50 pound with a street value of more than $500. The second violator was discovered to have .13 pounds of fentanyl pills concealed on and inside her person, one package was located inside her groin area, second package found in her bra, and third package in her outer clothing. The drugs have a street value of $3,250.
Yesterday, Port of Nogales officers referred a 42-year-old man for further inspection of his Lincoln SUV as he attempted to enter the U.S. through the DeConcini Crossing. Following a positive alert by a CBP canine, the search resulted in the officers locating more than 45 packages of drugs inside of the vehicle’s gas tank. The drugs were identified as nearly 53 pounds of methamphetamine with a street value of approximately $52,750.
On Sunday night, Nogales CBP officers referred a 28-year-old woman as she attempted to enter the U.S. through the DeConcini pedestrian crossing. The search led officers to the discovery of a package of fentanyl pills inside her groin area. The drugs have an estimated street value of $5,850.
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.