Yuma News Now

Naco, Arizona - United States Customs and Border Protection officers stopped a drug-smuggling attempt when they seized more than 230 pounds of marijuana.

On Friday, May 29, at about 6:45 pm., CBP officers were screening travelers when they became suspicious of a 21-year-old Phoenix, Arizona woman driving a 2001 Chevy pick-up. The CBP officers searched the vehicle and discovered a secret compartment built into the bed of the pick-up. A total of 230 pounds of marijuana with an estimated street value of $571,000 was removed from the compartment.

A total of 230 pounds of marijuana with an estimated street value of $571,000 was removed from the compartment.

“Our port is small and our numbers are few” said Adalberto Acuna, Port Director for Port Operations at Naco, Ariz., “but at the end of the day the only thing that really matters is that each individual CBP Officer was diligent in protecting his little piece of the border. It is this single individual commitment to excellence shared by thousands of equally determined Officers that stand ready as America’s front line of defense; this is our strength.”

CBP officers seized the vehicles and marijuana. Those individuals involved were turned over to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement for further investigation and prosecution.

A criminal complaint is simply the method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Office of Field Operations is responsible for securing our borders at the ports of entry. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers’ primary mission is anti-terrorism; they screen all people, vehicles, and goods entering the United States, while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel into and out of the United States. Their mission also includes carrying out traditional border-related responsibilities, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration law, protecting the nation’s food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases, and enforcing trade laws.\

While anti-terrorism is the primary mission of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the inspection process at the ports of entry associated with this mission results in impressive numbers of enforcement actions in all categories.