On February 14, the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office seized approximately 482 pounds of marijuana and took 5 adults into custody.
| Pima County Supervisors Reject Over $1 Million DHS Stonegarden Grant |
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On Tuesday, February 6, the Pima County Board of Supervisors voted against accepting over $1 million from the federal government through a grant program known as Operation Stonegarden. Although the County has accepted the funding for years, Supervisor Richard Elias claimed accepting the money now would put deputies in the position of enforcing immigration laws. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) created the program to “form partnerships with local sheriffs, highway patrol, and city and tribal police in 2003-2004. In 2009, Obama administration Homeland Security Secretary of Homeland Security and former Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano testified before a congressional committee in praise of the program. She stated, “Operation Stonegarden grants direct critical funding to state, local and tribal law enforcement operations across the country.” said Secretary Napolitano. She was “proud to announce that the funding provides additional flexibility to ensure that our first responders are equipped with the resources they need to confront the complex and dynamic challenges that exist along our borders.” |
The seizure and arrests were part of a long term investigation conducted by PCSO’s Anti-Smuggling Unit in conjunction with Operation Stone Garden. During the 14-month investigation, PCSO and Border Patrol agents investigated a drug trafficking organization that has been smuggling marijuana from Mexico. The group used scouts that occupied mountain tops to help backpackers navigate through the desert to avoid law enforcement. The backpackers would arrive at predetermined locations along the I-8 and I-10 corridor. Once the group was picked up, the drugs would be taken to various homes in Phoenix then distributed across the country.
The home connected to the drug trafficking bust is at 3744 Grand Ave in Phoenix. It is an address to a mobile home community.
Over several months, detectives seized multiple weapons, more than 1000 pounds of marijuana and seized several vehicles.
Leonidas Nieblas Leyva, Salome Gil, Luis Luna, Hector Cruz Rojo, and Casear Perez were arrested. All of the suspects were Some of the individuals arrested today were wearing carpet shoes, which are used to cover their tracks as they make their way through the desert. They are facing charges of Conspiracy, Transporting Marijuana, Possession of Marijuana, Possession for the Sale of Marijuana, Facilitation, Participating and Assisting a Criminal Syndicate, Possession of Marijuana in a Drug Free School Zone, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.