Lukeville, Ariz. - A 40-year-old male resident of Tucson was arrested Friday for allegedly attempting to smuggle more than 89 pounds of marijuana into the United States through the Lukeville Port.
Customs and Border Protection officers assigned to the Tucson Field Office referred Zenos John Rodriquez for a secondary inspection of his Chevrolet truck. During the inspection, officers found 48 packages of marijuana worth an estimated $45,000 inside the gas tank.
The vehicle and drugs were processed for seizure. Rodriguez was 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.
The Office of Field Operations is the primary organization within Customs and Border Protection tasked with an anti-terrorism mission at our nation's ports. CBP officers screen all people, vehicles and goods entering the United States while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. Their mission also includes carrying out border-related duties, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration and trade laws, and protecting the nation's food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 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.