Nogales CBP Seizes More Than $146K in Hard Drugs

TUCSON, Ariz. – Customs and Border Protection officers arrested two Mexican women, and a U.S. woman from Rio Rico, Arizona, during separate weekend attempts to smuggle methamphetamine through the Port of Nogales.

The first incident occurred Aug. 19 when officers referred a 31-year-old woman from Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, for further inspection as she attempted to enter the U.S. through the Morley pedestrian crossing. A search of the woman revealed more than 3 pounds of meth, worth nearly $9,400, wrapped around her calves. Moments later, officers referred a 29-year-old woman, also from Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, for similar inspection and, using a CBP narcotics-detection canine, discovered the same amount of meth wrapped around her calves.

On Aug. 21, officers referred a 24-year-old Rio Rico woman for further inspection of her Mazda sedan as she entered the U.S. through the Mariposa crossing. A narcotics-detection canine alerted officers to the vehicle’s firewall where they found almost 43 pounds of meth worth nearly $128,000.

Officers seized the vehicle and narcotics, and turned all subjects over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.