Drug Smuggler Using Zip Line Arrested By Border Patrol

Douglas Station Border Patrol agents seized 10 bundles of marijuana and arrested one person involved in a cross-border zip line smuggling attempt Wednesday morning.

Agents using surveillance technology detected a person a few feet from the international border attempting to conceal himself in a vacant lot on the east side of Douglas and alerted other agents patrolling the area. When agents arrived to investigate, they found multiple marijuana bundles and a male suspect identified as an 18-year-old Douglas resident.

During a subsequent search of the area, agents also discovered a zip line affixed to tall building south of the border in Agua Prieta Sonora, Mexico. Agents notified Mexican law enforcement who then searched the line’s point of origin; later reporting to the U.S. Border Patrol that no suspects were found.

Agents transported the bundles to the Douglas Station for processing. The marijuana had a combined weight of more than 240 pounds and an estimated value exceeding $120,000.

The suspect was arrested and is being held on federal smuggling charges. He will remain in custody pending further disposition.