YUMA, ARIZ.—U.S. Border Patrol agents from Yuma Sector seized 70 pounds of cocaine and nearly a half ton of marijuana with a combined value of $1,125,200 during three incidents Thursday.
Blythe Station agents working the California Highway 78 checkpoint at mile marker 56 referred a Ford pickup truck for secondary inspection following a canine team alert. Agents searching the vehicle discovered approximately $640,600 worth of cocaine hidden in the truck's spare tire. The cocaine, vehicle and driver, a Mexican national with lawful permanent resident status, were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Wellton Station Agents patrolling near Hyder, Ariz., stopped what appeared to be a utility work truck on a rural road after noticing the driver's suspicious behavior. The driver, a Mexican national with lawful permanent resident status, consented to a vehicle search. Agents searched the truck and found 251 packages of marijuana in the vehicle's gas tank. The driver, vehicle and marijuana, weighing more than 700 pounds and worth $353,000, were turned over to the Yuma County Narcotics Task Force.
Wellton Station Agents patrolling west of Gila Bend apprehended a group of six subjects carrying backpacks, filled with marijuana, through the desert. The suspects and marijuana, weighing 263 pounds and worth an estimated $131,600, were turned over to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office.
The Border Patrol has made significant progress combating transnational criminal organizations by impacting their ability to transport contraband throughout the United States, and ensuring smugglers face stiff federal penalties for their actions.