YUMA, Ariz. – It was another big weekend for Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents, as they arrested 43 illegal aliens and seized nearly a ton of marijuana, with an estimated value approaching one million dollars.

In the early hours of the weekend, Border Patrol agents patrolling the Sonoran Desert arrested seven Mexican nationals, and seized 235 pounds of marijuana they had smuggled into the country near Gila Bend. More than 350 pounds of abandoned marijuana was later located in separate incidents in the same area.

Three separate incidents near Camp Grip, Yuma Sector’s forward operating base, led to the arrest of more than 30 illegal aliens attempting to smuggle nearly 1,400 pounds of marijuana into the U.S.

Agents also foiled smuggling attempts at two of Yuma Sector’s immigration checkpoints. The first attempt was in Blythe, Calif, on Highway 78, where a U.S. citizen was arrested for attempting to smuggle an illegal alien further into the country. A records check revealed he had an active warrant out of Modesto, Calif. for fraud.

The second incident occurred at the Interstate 8 checkpoint, east of Yuma, when a Mexican national, illegally in the U.S., was arrested for fraudulently using another person’s valid U.S. passport. A conviction of someone falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen carries a penalty of up to three years in prison.

All persons, drugs and vehicles will be processed per Yuma Sector guidelines.