300 Pounds of Drugs, Loaded Weapons Seized at Arizona Border Crossings

Tucson Sector Customs and Border Protection officers seized more than 300 pounds of drugs and eight loaded weapons being smuggled into the U.S. through Arizona ports of entry over the weekend. Officers also seized nearly 2,000 rounds of ammunition with the firearms cache.

Officers assigned to the Lukeville Port of Entry on Friday afternoon observed a Chevy SUV approaching for inspection as the driver attempted to cross from Mexico into the U.S. An officer referred the driver, a 60-year-old man from Fort Mojave, Arizona, to a secondary inspection station, according to information obtained from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials.

During a search of the SUV, the officers found a cache of eight loaded weapons including rifles and handguns. The officers also found nearly 2,000 rounds of ammunition. In addition to the weapons, the officers also found a little more than one pound of marijuana. Officials seized the weapons, ammunition, drugs, and the SUV. The CBP officers placed the suspect under arrest and turned him over to ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents for further investigation.

Earlier that day, other officers at the Lukeville Port of Entry observed a Dodge sedan approaching from Mexico seeking to enter the U.S. During a secondary inspection, a K-9 officer alerted to an odor it is trained to detect, officials stated.

Officers carried out a physical search of the vehicle and found nearly 50 packages of methamphetamine hidden inside the vehicle’s gas tank. Officials estimated the 65 pounds of meth to be worth more than $58,000. The officers seized the drugs and vehicle and placed the driver and passenger, both residents of Phoenix, under arrest.

Port of Douglas officers observed a Ford truck approaching from Mexico seeking to enter the U.S. through the port on Saturday morning. The officers referred the driver, a 21-year-old man from Agua Prieta, Sonora, to a secondary inspection. Following an alert from a K-9 officer, a physical search of the truck led to the discovery of 90 packages of marijuana. The officers found the drugs under the hood of the truck and in the back wall of the truck’s cab, officials stated. Officials estimated the 124 pounds of marijuana to be worth more than $37,000.

The following evening, officers observed a Nissan SUV approaching the Dennis DeConcini Crossing from Mexico. The officers referred the driver, a 33-year-old Mexican woman from Phoenix, to a secondary inspection station. A search of the SUV led to the discovery of nearly 132 pounds of methamphetamine. Officers estimated the value of the meth to be more than $118,000.

In total, the CBP officers in this sector found 321 pounds of drugs and stopped a smuggler from bringing eight firearms and nearly 2,000 rounds of ammunition into the U.S. Officers turned all suspects and seized property over to HSI agents for further investigation.