TUCSON, Ariz. – Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents seized two vehicles and more than 2,600 pounds of marijuana on Feb. 7.
Ajo Station agents responded to sensor activity near Gila Bend, Arizona, and found tire tracks from two vehicles. Agents followed the tracks and spotted two vehicles hidden in a wash.
As agents approached the location, they observed several subjects exiting two pickup trucks. Agents were unable to locate the subjects but did find 314 bundles of marijuana, worth an estimated $1,344,600, in the vehicles.
Record checks on the vehicles revealed both were displaying false plates.
Agents seized the drugs and vehicles in accordance with Tucson Sector guidelines.
Transnational criminal organizations use a variety of methods to transport narcotics across Arizona’s border and into local communities. Detection technology enhances the Border Patrol’s ability to gain situational awareness in remote areas, causing smugglers to abandon their loads rather than risk apprehension and federal prosecution.