Willcox Station Border Patrol agents at the Highway 80 immigration checkpoint near Tombstone arrested two drivers of a Mexican tour bus Wednesday night after finding close to 320 pounds of marijuana in a hidden, aftermarket compartment.
Agents referred the bus for an immigration inspection of the occupants, all identified as Mexican nationals.
During the inspection, a Border Patrol canine alerted to an odor it was trained to detect emitting from the rear of the bus. When agents searched the area, they found a hidden compartment behind a cabinet next to the toilet with 264 bricks of marijuana inside.
Agents arrested both male drivers, ages 26 and 32, for drug smuggling. The marijuana, worth in excess of $159,000, and bus were seized. The passengers were driven to a nearby business to await alternative transportation.
