TUCSON, Ariz. – Customs and Border Protection officers arrested three Mexican nationals and five U.S. citizens connected to separate smuggling attempts during the past five days at the Port of Nogales.
CBP officers at the DeConcini crossing seized more than 15 pounds of cocaine from within the windshield cowling of a smuggling vehicle.
Officers at the Dennis DeConcini crossing referred Manuel Antonio Martinez-Cordova, 44, from neighboring Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, for a secondary vehicle inspection of his Chrysler sedan on May 15. A search by officers led to the discovery of more than 15 pounds of cocaine worth in excess of $156,000.
Later that day, officers at the Mariposa crossing referred Luis Antonio Acuna-Frasquillo, 59, of Magdalena, Sonora, Mexico, for an inspection of his Ford sedan. After a CBP narcotics detection canine alerted to the trunk, officers removed 19 bundles of marijuana weighing more than 400 pounds and valued at nearly $202,000.
A day earlier, officers at the DeConcini crossing referred Sergio Eduardo Gonzalez, 25, of Rio Rico and his 21-year-old passenger, Aaron Lopez Molina, of Nogales, Arizona, for further inspection of Gonzalez’ Ford sedan. A narcotics-detection canine alerted officers to more than 27 pounds of heroin, approximately 20 pounds of methamphetamine and 2.6 pounds of cocaine. The drugs have a combined value of nearly $473,000.
More than 400 pounds of marijuana are removed from within a smuggling vehicle that was stopped on May 15 at the Mariposa crossing.
At about the same time, officers at the Mariposa crossing referred Jesus Lopez-Torres, 37, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, for further inspection of his Dodge van and found 12 packages of heroin, weighing in excess of 15 pounds and worth nearly $219,000.
On May 17, officers at the Mariposa crossing referred Mary Jane Lopez, 45, of Tucson, for further inspection of her Nissan sedan and located nearly 117 pounds of marijuana, worth more than $58,000.
Earlier that day, officers at the DeConcini crossing referred Yvonne Anita Campa, 26, of Rio Rico, for further inspection of her Mitsubishi sedan. After a narcotics detection canine alerted to the presence of drugs, officers removed 20 packages of meth from a false floor. The drugs weighed more than 25 pounds and are worth more than $76,000.
On May 18, officers at the Mariposa pedestrian crossing referred Tina Marie McFarland, 32, of Phoenix, for questioning. During a search of McFarland, officers found more than two pounds of heroin, valued in excess of $33,000, wrapped around her stomach and in her undergarments.