Mexico/U.S. Team Up to Seize $12.5 Million in Marijuana

U.S. Border Patrol Agents working in the Tucson Sector teamed up with Mexican law enforcement officials to conduct “mirrored operations” on both sides of the border leading to the arrests of nearly 500 people and the seizure of $12.5 million in marijuana.

On the American side of the border, Border Patrol agents worked with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO) aircrews to carry out patrol and interdiction operations. Their efforts were mirrored on the Mexican border by that country’s patrol operations, information obtained from the CBP by Breitbart Texas revealed.

The operations were coordinated by the Tucson Sector’s Foreign Operations Branch. The operation, dubbed “Double Threat” on the American side and “Relampago Azul” on the Mexican side, was designed to disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal organizations operating on both sides of the border, CBP officials revealed.

The focus of the operation was the high-traffic drug smuggling routes areas around the Nogales. After analyzing traffic trends in the region. The Foreign Operations Branch would coordinate with the Mexican authorities. Assets were deployed on both sides of the border based on joint risk assessments.

The operation ran for the last two weeks of April and ended on April 30. During that period, 467 people were arrested and 25,000 pounds of marijuana was seized. The marijuana was estimated to have a street value of about $12.5 million dollars. Additionally, 11 vehicles stolen from the U.S. were recovered in Mexico.

Officials seized a quarter-million dollars in U.S. currency and $16,392 worth of Mexican pesos.

“The binational operation shows how the integration of information and mirrored enforcement can further secure our borders,” Tucson Sector Chief Paul Beeson said in a written statement obtained by Breitbart Texas.. “Some of these drugs were seized in Mexico before they even had a chance to cross the border and further endanger our communities. Our ability to work in a coordinated fashion with our law enforcement partners in Mexico contributes to a safer border environment for us all.”

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas and is a member of the original Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter@BobPriceBBTX.