$1.6M In Drugs Seized By CBP Officers Over Weekend

Officers uncovered 38 pounds of cocaine in the back seat and speaker box of a smuggling vehicle. CBP officers discovered 64 pounds of cocaine within the back seat of a smuggling vehicle. [Photos from CBP]

TUCSON – Five and one U.S. citizen were arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers for alleged attempts to smuggle 138 pounds of cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine through Arizona’s Port of Nogales.

Over the weekend, officers referred a 27-year-old Mexican male for a secondary inspection of his GMC truck, as he attempted to enter the U.S. through the port Friday morning, at the Dennis DeConcini Crossing.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), after a narcotics detection canine alerted to the presence of a scent it is trained to detect, the search of the vehicle led to the discovery of modifications to the engine where 5 packages of heroin were hidden. There was an additional 3 packages of cocaine also seized. The value of the drugs were nearly five pounds of heroin, worth almost $56,000, while more than 7 pounds of cocaine was worth nearly $102,000.

Earlier Friday, officers at the Mariposa Crossing referred a 41-year-old Mexican male for an additional search of his Dodge truck as he attempted to enter the U.S. After a CBP canine alerted to the presence of drugs, the search led to the discovery of 64 pounds of cocaine hidden inside the truck’s back seat. The cocaine is worth more than $871,000.

Then on Friday evening, officers at the DeConcini Pedestrian lanes selected a 59-year-old Tucson man for an additional questioning as he attempted to enter the U.S. through the port. A positive alert by a CBP canine led to the removal of three packages of drugs from inside of his guitar. They were identified as just more than 3 pounds of meth, worth nearly $3,000.

On Saturday afternoon, officers at the Dennis DeConcini Crossing referred a 33-year-old Mexican female for an additional search of her Nissan sedan. The search led to the discovery of nearly 38 pounds of cocaine from the backseat and speaker box, worth more than $516,000.

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