Nogales, Arizona - Customs and Border Protection officers at Arizona’s Port of Nogales apprehended a U.S. Citizen and a Cuban National during separate weekend smuggling incidents involving fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine.
Officers working at the "Dennis DeConcini Crossing" Friday afternoon referred a 39-year-old Cuban man for a secondary inspection in his Chevy SUV. During the inspection, a canine alert led to the discovery of more than 61-pounds of meth, and a package of fentanyl hidden within the vehicle’s quarter panels and dash. The narcotics have a combined value of more than $185,000.
On Saturday morning, CBP officers at the "Mariposa" crossing referred a 21-year-old U.S. woman for secondary inspection in her Chevy SUV. During that inspection, a canine alerted to the vehicle’s rear quarter panels where officers found more than 40 pounds of heroin and meth, worth more than $172,000.
In both incidents, officers charged the suspects with narcotics smuggling, and turned them over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, along with their vehicles and drugs.
Federal law allows officers to charge individuals by complaint, a method that allows for 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.
CBP's Office of Field Operations is the primary organization within Homeland Security that is tasked with an anti-terrorism mission at our nation’s ports. CBP officers screen all people, vehicles and goods entering the United States while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. Their mission also includes carrying out border-related duties, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration and trade laws, and protecting the nation's food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases.