TUCSON – A Tucson woman and a Mexican man are in custody after separate failed smuggling attempts.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), officers at the Port of Nogales seized 58 pounds of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and prescription pills on Thursday.
Officers arrested the 43-year-old Mexican man after agents conducted an inspection of his Chevy truck as he attempted to enter the U.S. from Mexico early Thursday morning. Officers removed 10 packages of cocaine from within the dashboard and heater core. The packages weighed more than 26 pounds, worth nearly $633,000.
Early that afternoon, officers at the Mariposa Crossing referred a 22-year-old Tucson woman for an additional search of her Chevy truck as she attempted to enter the U.S. from Mexico. Officers discovered a non-factory compartment in the bed of the truck, where they found nearly 30 packages of methamphetamine. The meth weighed almost thirty pounds, worth nearly $90,000.
Then officers at the Morley Pedestrian Crossing referred a 62-year-old Mexican man for further questioning when he attempted to enter the U.S. from Mexico. A search of the man led to the discovery of nearly one-half pound of heroin, which was hidden in his groin. The drugs were valued at more than $39,000.
A short time later, Morley Pedestrian Crossing officers referred a 63-year-old Nogales, Arizona man for additional questioning as he attempted to enter the U.S. from Mexico. When the man was searched, officers discovered three packages of drugs in his groin area. More than one-half pound of Xanax, Tramadol and Oxycodone were packaged separately.