CBP Agents Seize More Than 670 Pounds of Pot, Arrest 2

Casa Grande drug load.

Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents from the Nogales and Casa Grande stations seized more than 670 pounds of marijuana, worth in excess of $336,000, and arrested two Honduran nationals during separate weekend incidents near the Arizona communities of Nogales and Vamori.

Casa Grande agents working on dirt bikes Saturday morning responded to a report of smugglers near Vamori. While tracking the group, agents encountered two Honduran nationals with more than 432 pounds of marijuana, worth in excess of $216,000. Agents searched the area but did not locate additional smugglers.

Agents working west of Nogales on Saturday evening responded to two incidents a few hours apart resulting in two marijuana seizures with a combined weight of almost 240 pounds. In the first incident, agents responding to a sensor activation encountered multiple individuals carrying large backpacks of suspected marijuana. When the smugglers saw the agents, they dropped their packs and ran south to Mexico. A similar scenario played out a few hours later and further west of Nogales. The two seizures have a combined value exceeding $120,000.

Agents transported the marijuana and two Honduran nationals to their respective stations for processing in accordance with Tucson Sector guidelines. The suspected smugglers face federal charges for smuggling a controlled substance and immigration violations.

Federal law allows agents to charge individuals by complaint, a method that allows the filing of charges for criminal activity without inferring guilt. An individual is presumed innocent unless or until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

About ADI Staff Reporter 12171 Articles
Under the leadership of Editor-in -Chief Huey Freeman, our team of staff reporters bring accurate,timely, and complete news coverage.