YUMA – Nearly $90K in methamphetamine, approximately 22K fentanyl tablets, and wads of cash were seized by U.S. Border Patrol agents working at the Interstate 8 Immigration Checkpoint during two separate events last week.
Office of Field Operations Nationwide Drug Seizures
Numbers below reflect FY 2014-2018 totals, FY 2019 TD (to date) (October 1, 2018 – August 31, 2019)
| FY 14 | FY 15 | FY 16 | FY 17 | FY 18 | FY 19 TD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cocaine | 45,323 | 38,346 | 52,838 | 62,415 | 51,713 | 85,953 |
| Heroin | 4,356 | 6,023 | 4,224 | 3,398 | 5,205 | 4,549 |
| Marijuana | 438,146 | 602,821 | 516,122 | 366,627 | 300,289 | 274,684 |
| Methamphetamine | 19,613 | 25,495 | 33,086 | 46,247 | 56,362 | 61,989 |
| Fentanyl | n/a | 70 | 596 | 1,875 | 1,785 | 2,350 |
*weights are in pounds (lb)
Monthly Office of Field Operations Nationwide Drug Seizures (October 1, 2018 to August 31, 2019)
| Marijuana | Cocaine | Heroin | Methamphetamine | Fentanyl | Other | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | 8,808 | 3,156 | 469 | 3,958 | 139 | 16,763 |
| November | 29,893 | 4,129 | 326 | 3,696 | 122 | 8,986 |
| December | 24,474 | 6,703 | 321 | 3,585 | 76 | 8,298 |
| January | 11,324 | 2,440 | 273 | 4,743 | 343 | 12,803 |
| February | 21,636 | 9,215 | 322 | 5,820 | 172 | 15,088 |
| March | 25,514 | 5,872 | 504 | 5,535 | 245 | 8,407 |
| April | 17,062 | 1,413 | 503 | 5,935 | 224 | 14,808 |
| May | 21,352 | 5,287 | 418 | 6,172 | 380 | 12,737 |
| June | 48,159 | 41,419 | 439 | 7,991 | 265 | 11,095 |
| July | 18,715 | 2,262 | 349 | 7,282 | 133 | 13,939 |
| August | 47,748 | 4,056 | 625 | 6,872 | 251 | 12,063 |
*weights are in pounds (lb)
Wellton Station agents referred a Mercedes sedan, driven by a 30-year-old U.S. citizen from Temecula, California, to the secondary inspection area following a Border Patrol canine alert. Agents discovered methamphetamine, marijuana, heroin, drug paraphernalia, and $11,000 in cash inside the vehicle.
The driver was arrested for possession of a controlled substance. The narcotics, cash, and vehicle were seized.
In another incident, agents saw what they believed was a “suspicious vehicle” traveling through Dome Valley. Agents performed a vehicle stop and a Border Patrol canine alerted to the spare tire of the vehicle driven by a 27-year-old Mexican national. Agents discovered 26 packages of methamphetamine and two other packages of pills. The methamphetamine had a weight of nearly 39 pounds and an estimated value of $89,000. The approximately 22,000 pills tested positive for fentanyl.
The driver was arrested for transportation of a controlled substance.