CBP Officers Seize Marijuana At Southern Arizona Port

Nogales, Ariz. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers assigned to the Tucson Field Office, a component of the Customs and Border Protection Joint Field Command - Arizona (JFC-AZ), seized a load of marijuana on Monday

On Monday afternoon a 20-year-old Mexican female from Nogales, Ariz. attempted to enter the United States through a vehicle lane at the Dennis DeConcini Port and was referred to a secondary inspection area. When a narcotics detection canine searched the vehicle, it alerted to the presence of drugs near the gas tank. The vehicle was then taken to a lift, where the gas tank was removed. Inside were a total of 37 packages of marijuana with a total weight of more than 79 pounds, with an estimated value of $39,500. The subject was arrested and referred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations for further investigation.

Individuals arrested are charged with a criminal complaint, which raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

CBP announced the JFC-AZ in February 2011 as an organizational realignment that brings together the U.S. Border Patrol, Air and Marine, and Field Operations under a unified command structure. The JFC-AZ integrates CBP's border security, commercial enforcement, and trade facilitation missions to more effectively meet the unique challenges faced in the Arizona area of operations.

CBP's Office of Field Operations is the primary organization within Homeland Security tasked primarily with an anti-terrorism mission at our nation's ports. CBP officers screen all people, vehicles and goods entering the United States while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. Their mission also includes carrying out border-related responsibilities, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration and trade laws, and protecting the nation's food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases.