ELOY, Ariz. – A 21-year-old Mexican man deported 11 times for entering the United States illegally, made it an even 12 when he was caught again Tuesday afternoon – this time on suspicion of drug trafficking.
A Phoenix TV station reported that Daniel Jupa-Fino of Sonora, Mexico, was one of two men in a vehicle being pursued by a Pinal County deputy. The men were traveling west and when the deputy attempted to pull them over, the suspects crossed into the eastbound lanes, and then came to an abrupt halt. The suspects fled the vehicle into a nearby trailer park, where the passenger, 19-year-old Felipe Gonzalez-Tempura, was apprehended.
Police found Jupa-Fino at a nearby gas station where he was taken into custody after a brief fight. Deputies told the TV station that they confiscated 220 pounds of marijuana worth more than $165,000 in the suspects’ vehicle.
They were both charged with possession of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale and transportation of marijuana.