Customs Officers Have Busy Cinco De Mayo Weekend
Jim Kouri, CPP
May 10, 2006
US Customs and Border Protection officers at the Arizona ports of entry were kept busy during the Cinco De Mayo weekend, arresting seven people in connection with six major attempts at smuggling more than 236 pounds of cocaine, methamphetamines, heroin, and marijuana into the country.
Officers also apprehended 11 people with warrants for their arrest, stopped five attempts to smuggle people into the country, and stopped four attempts to smuggle medication, steroids, and small amounts of narcotics. Officers seized 12 vehicles in connection with the failed narcotics and alien smuggling attempts.
On Friday morning, CBP officers at the Mariposa port of entry in Nogales stopped a 34-year-old man from Nogales, Sonora from smuggling in more than 14 pounds of cocaine hidden in a 1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass Sierra. Officers noticed the driver?s nervous behavior and decided to search the vehicle, where they found six packages of cocaine. The driver was immediately arrested.
On Friday afternoon, CBP officers at the Dennis DeConcini port of entry in Nogales stopped a 48-year-old man from Nogales, Sonora from smuggling in more than 40 pounds of cocaine hidden in the floor of a 1995 Ford Explorer. Officers called on a drug dog to assist them in the search, and after ?Max? alerted to narcotics odor, searched the vehicle, discovering 16 packages of cocaine. The driver was arrested.
Half an hour later, officers at the same port of entry stopped and arrested two people from Culiacan, Sinaloa who attempted to smuggle more than four pounds of heroin hidden in a 2006 Volkswagon Jetta.
On Friday evening, officers at the Mariposa port of entry in Nogales seized almost 75 pounds of marijuana on Friday, arresting a 35-year-old man from Valley Farms, Arizona. On Saturday morning, officers at the DeConcini port of entry seized more than 20 pounds of marijuana, arresting a 39-year-old man from Caborca, Sonora.
On Saturday morning, CBP officers at the Douglas port of entry stopped the driver of a 2003 Ford Windstar from smuggling in more than 59 pounds of cocaine and almost 25 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in different areas of the vehicle. Officers performing spot checks of vehicles waiting in line noticed discrepancies in the vehicle and in the driver?s answers to standard questions.
They then used a drug dog to screen the vehicle. After ?Diggim? alerted officers to narcotics odor, the officers searched the van and discovered compartments that had been built into different areas of the vehicle. When opened, the officers found that the compartments held 25 packages of cocaine and 27 packages of methamphetamines. The driver, a 33-year-old woman from Cananea, Sonora was arrested in connection with the failed smuggling attempt.
Officers also apprehended 11 people with warrants for their arrest, stopped five attempts to smuggle people into the country, and stopped four attempts to smuggle medication, steroids, and small amounts of narcotics. Officers seized 12 vehicles in connection with the failed narcotics and alien smuggling attempts.
On Friday morning, CBP officers at the Mariposa port of entry in Nogales stopped a 34-year-old man from Nogales, Sonora from smuggling in more than 14 pounds of cocaine hidden in a 1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass Sierra. Officers noticed the driver?s nervous behavior and decided to search the vehicle, where they found six packages of cocaine. The driver was immediately arrested.
On Friday afternoon, CBP officers at the Dennis DeConcini port of entry in Nogales stopped a 48-year-old man from Nogales, Sonora from smuggling in more than 40 pounds of cocaine hidden in the floor of a 1995 Ford Explorer. Officers called on a drug dog to assist them in the search, and after ?Max? alerted to narcotics odor, searched the vehicle, discovering 16 packages of cocaine. The driver was arrested.
Half an hour later, officers at the same port of entry stopped and arrested two people from Culiacan, Sinaloa who attempted to smuggle more than four pounds of heroin hidden in a 2006 Volkswagon Jetta.
On Friday evening, officers at the Mariposa port of entry in Nogales seized almost 75 pounds of marijuana on Friday, arresting a 35-year-old man from Valley Farms, Arizona. On Saturday morning, officers at the DeConcini port of entry seized more than 20 pounds of marijuana, arresting a 39-year-old man from Caborca, Sonora.
On Saturday morning, CBP officers at the Douglas port of entry stopped the driver of a 2003 Ford Windstar from smuggling in more than 59 pounds of cocaine and almost 25 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in different areas of the vehicle. Officers performing spot checks of vehicles waiting in line noticed discrepancies in the vehicle and in the driver?s answers to standard questions.
They then used a drug dog to screen the vehicle. After ?Diggim? alerted officers to narcotics odor, the officers searched the van and discovered compartments that had been built into different areas of the vehicle. When opened, the officers found that the compartments held 25 packages of cocaine and 27 packages of methamphetamines. The driver, a 33-year-old woman from Cananea, Sonora was arrested in connection with the failed smuggling attempt.
Print
Email
