Nogales, Arizona - Customs and Border Protection officers arrested two Mexican nationals for two separate failed hard narcotics smuggling attempts on Thursday through the Port of Nogales.
The first incident occurred early in the morning when officers at the Dennis DeConcini crossing referred a 27-year-old resident of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, for a secondary inspection of her Jeep SUV. A search of the vehicle led to the discovery of nearly 51 pounds of meth, worth nearly $153,000, concealed in a non-factory compartment inside the firewall of the vehicle. They also found more than two pounds of heroin worth nearly $43,000.
Later that morning, officers at the Mariposa crossing referred a 23-year-old resident of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, for a secondary inspection his Pontiac sedan. A CBP narcotics detection canine alert led officers to nearly 62 pounds of meth, worth more than $185,000, that was hidden within the vehicle’s seats.
Officers seized the narcotics, both vehicles, and turned both subjects over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.