Nogales, Arizona - Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents from the Nogales Station arrested a 32-year-old Mexican man after discovering more than 1,500 pounds of marijuana in a tractor-trailer at the Interstate 19 immigration checkpoint near Amado on Wednesday evening.
Agents referred the driver for a secondary inspection after a Border Patrol canine alerted to an odor it was trained to detect coming from the vehicle. When agents searched the trailer, they found 131 bundles of marijuana, worth more than $770,000, hidden in the roof.
Agents turned the driver, marijuana, and tractor-trailer over to the Drug Enforcement Administration for prosecution.
Federal law allows agents to charge individuals by complaint, a method that allows the filing of charges for criminal activity without inferring guilt. An individual is presumed innocent unless and until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials welcome assistance from the community. Citizens can report suspicious activity to the Border Patrol and remain anonymous by calling 1-877-872-7435 toll free. Reporting illicit activity could result in saving someone’s life.