TUCSON, Ariz. – Customs and Border Protection officers took four male Mexican nationals into custody during separate incidents earlier this week for alleged attempts to smuggle a combined 55 pounds of methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin through the Port of Nogales.
The seats of a smuggling vehicle were found to be hiding packages of cocaine, by CBP officers at the Mariposa crossing.
Officers at the Mariposa crossing first arrested Noe Fernando Renteria-Rodriguez, 34, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, after a CBP narcotics-detection canine alerted to the Ford truck he was driving on Aug. 17. During a secondary search of the vehicle, officers found more than eight pounds of methamphetamine valued in excess of $24,000.
On Aug. 18, officers at the Dennis DeConcini crossing arrested Luciano Ismael Haro-Gutierrez, 32, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, after a CBP canine alerted to a rear quarter panel of his Jeep SUV. Inside, officers found more than 13 pounds of cocaine exceeding $138,000 in value.
Officers at the Mariposa crossing arrested Antonio Delgado-Nunez, 52, of Magdalena, Sonora, Mexico, after a CBP canine alerted to more than nine pounds of cocaine, exceeding $98,000 in value, within the vehicle’s seats.
A short time later at the Mariposa crossing, officers arrested Francisco Verdugo-Martinez, 25, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, after a search of his Ford SUV led to the discovery of nearly 24 pounds of heroin. The drugs, hidden inside of the vehicle’s roof, are valued at nearly $338,000.
Officers seized all drugs and vehicles, and referred all subjects to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.