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  4. San Luis CBP Officers Nab Nearly $240k Hard Drugs

San Luis CBP Officers Nab Nearly $240k Hard Drugs

Release Date
Fri, 06/28/2013

SAN LUIS, ARIZ.—A local man and woman were arrested yesterday at the Port of San Luis for attempting to smuggle nearly 25 pounds of cocaine and one pound of methamphetamine into the United States, in separate incidents.

Customs and Border Protection officers arrested Ismael Beltran, 27, after a narcotics detection canine alerted officers to 11 packages of cocaine beneath the cowl of the vehicle's windshield.

Claudia Ibarra, 31, was also arrested after CBP officers noticed unusual behavior prompted officers to further question her. Officer's determined she was possibly attempting to smuggle contraband, which necessitated she be taken to a medical facility. A licensed physician removed a one-pound package of methamphetamine.

The drugs, valued at $223,000, and the Chevrolet sedan were seized. Beltran and Ibarra were turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.

Individuals arrested may be charged by complaint, the method by which a person is charged with criminal activity, which raises no inference of 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 is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Last Modified: Feb 03, 2021