LORDSBURG, N.M.—U.S. Border Patrol agents seized nearly 7,000 pounds of marijuana and arrested four men who tried to cross into the U.S. from Mexico in stolen vehicles late Saturday.
On March 23, U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Lordsburg Border Patrol station were patrolling near the U.S./Mexico border south of Animas, New Mexico, when they saw several vehicles with no headlights driving north from the border area. The vehicles made their way toward Animas and attempted to evade agents. Agents responded to the area and deployed controlled tire deflation devices to slow the speed of the trucks. Four of the vehicles were disabled while the fifth vehicle managed to turn around and make its way back into Mexico. The subjects in the vehicles fled, but U.S. Border Patrol agents tracked and apprehended four of the suspected smugglers. A search of the heavily-laden trucks led to the discovery of 6,940 pounds of marijuana with an estimated street value of $5.5 million. Vehicle registration checks revealed that at least two of the vehicles had been reported stolen.
The suspected smugglers and narcotics were transported to the Lordsburg Border Patrol station. The subjects, identified as Antonio Alvarez Toscano, Ricardo Garcia Delgado, Jesus Alonso Escalante Delgado and Jose Domingo Jasso Topete, are all Mexican citizens and still in custody.
These most recent drug seizures demonstrate the vigilance by U.S. Border Patrol agents on a regular basis to combat the furtherance of illicit contraband into communities along the southwest border. These efforts play an important role in helping keep our nation safe.