TUCSON, Ariz. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers arrested a Phoenix resident after seizing more than 21 pounds of suspected fentanyl from him at Arizona’s Port of Lukeville yesterday.
Officers referred the 25-year-old U.S. citizen for secondary inspection of his Ford SUV as he applied to re-enter the United States from Mexico Sunday afternoon. A CBP canine alerted to an odor it is trained to detect, leading officers to the discovery of multiple packages inside the motor area of the vehicle, worth approximately $291,000.
Officers arrested the subject and turned him over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, while the drugs and the vehicle were seized.
Federal law allows officers to charge individuals by complaint, a method that allows the filing of charges for criminal activity without inferring guilt. An individual is presumed innocent unless and until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials welcome assistance from the community. Please feel free to call 1-877-227-5511 toll free. Reporting illicit activity could result in saving someone’s life.