LORDSBURG, N.M. – U.S. Border Patrol agents working in southern New Mexico rescue two individuals and seize nearly a quarter of a million dollars Monday.
Shortly before midnight on June 29, Lordsburg Border Patrol agents stop to assist a Hidalgo County Sheriff Deputy on Interstate 10 near the Arizona state line. Attempting to hide from view in a 2008 Dodge Charger, were three individuals laying down in the back seat along with a juvenile in the front passenger seat. It was determined that all four subjects were illegally in the United States. A canine inspection of the vehicle was conducted and revealed an additional male juvenile and an adult female trapped in the trunk of the vehicle. The subjects immediately asked for water and requested assistance after being removed from the trunk by Border Patrol agents.
The driver of the vehicle, a United States citizen along with all six undocumented aliens were placed under arrest and transported to the Lordsburg Border Patrol station for further investigation and processing.
Also on June 29, Border Patrol agents assigned to the Interstate 10 checkpoint west of Las Cruces encountered two U.S. males traveling west in a white Dodge pickup. The subjects and vehicle were sent to the secondary inspection area due to a canine alert. During questioning, the driver, a 44-year-old U.S. citizen, admitted to having a small amount of marijuana in the truck.
Agents discovered marijuana and two vials of steroids as well as four vacuum sealed packages containing U.S. currency in a duffle bag. The passenger, a 58-year-old, U.S. citizen claimed ownership of the contents. A routine criminal history check on the subjects revealed that the passenger had numerous arrests and convictions for narcotics trafficking. The passenger was unable to prove that the currency was not derived from illegal proceeds and therefore, it was seized pending further investigation. The total amount seized was $220,130. The steroids and .01 ounces of marijuana were transported to the Las Cruces station for transfer to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
These incidents demonstrate how vigilance by U.S. Border Patrol agents and the ability to rapidly respond to remote areas is combating drug smuggling and other illicit activity and keeping our communities safe.