Nogales, Arizona - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Arizona’s Port of Nogales apprehended a U.S. citizen and a Mexican national involved in connection with separate failed attempts to smuggle almost 172 pounds of methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl into the United States earlier this week.
Officers working at the Mariposa Crossing referred a 40-year-old Mexican man for further inspection of his Ford truck Tuesday evening. A CBP narcotics detection canine alerted to an odor it was trained to detect, resulting in drugs being located throughout the truck. The inspection led to the discovery of almost 74 pounds of meth, worth more than $221,000 as well as more than 24 pounds of heroin, worth in excess of $425,000. In addition, officers seized more than 7 pounds of cocaine, worth more than $80,000 and suspected nearly 2.5 pounds of fentanyl, worth nearly $34,000.
Wednesday, officers at the Mariposa Crossing referred a 21-year-old Sahuarita, Arizona woman was sent for an additional search of her Nissan sedan. A CBP canine alert led officers to the seats, which were determined to be filled with more than 64 pounds of cocaine, worth just more than $725,000.
Officers seized the drugs as well as both vehicles, and turned both arrested subjects over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.