Yuma News Now

Yesterday afternoon, agents working foot patrol on the west side of Nogales, Arizona, saw several individuals carrying rifles and wearing camouflage clothing with ski masks. As agents approached the individuals, the subjects abruptly dropped the rifles and ran back into the interior of Mexico. A brief search of the surrounding desert led the agents to the discovery of two bundles of marijuana weighing more than 95 pounds with an estimated value in excess of $76,400.00 and two loaded assault rifles.

Later that evening, agents operating a Mobile Surveillance System detected several individuals near Arivaca Road. Agents working in the nearby area were notified. As the agents approached the individuals, the subjects ran from the area. While searching the area for the individuals, agents discovered five double bundles of marijuana and a loaded handgun. The total weight of the marijuana was over 244 pounds with an estimated value of over $195,600.00

As the Border Patrol becomes increasingly effective due to the implementation of more technology such as the MSS, smugglers are becoming frustrated with the fact that they can no longer conduct their illicit activities. This frustration on the smugglers behalf is causing them to become more aggressive in their methods to attempt to cross marijuana into the United States. These attempts include the use of dangerous and deadly weapons such as the ones mentioned above to protect their drugs. The above mentioned incidents are excellent examples of how integrative, organized operations combining technology, infrastructure and personnel along the border work collectively to ensure that criminals are unsuccessful regardless of their persistence or ingenuity.

The drugs were transferred to the Drug Enforcement Administration for processing. The weapons were seized by the Border Patrol.

In the performance of their duties, Tucson Sector agents seized over 88 weapons in fiscal year 2008. For the first two months of fiscal year 2009, Border Patrol agents have seized more than 13 weapons, arrested 31,664 illegal aliens, seized 135,863 pounds of marijuana worth an estimated $108.7 million and seized nearly 500 vehicles. (October and November, 2008)