Photos: Border busts 2017
Check out the photos of some smuggling failures at Arizona's border.
Border busts 2018
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Smugglers of people, drugs, money, weapons and other contraband continue to find new ways to get across the border. Check out the photos of some recent smuggling fails.
Lukeville pot seizure
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Customs officers southwest of Tucson seized more than a ton of marijuana from a motorhome being driven by a Phoenix man, the CBP said in a news release. The drugs had a street value of about $1.2 million, according to Customs and Border Protection. On Dec. 30, 2017, CBP officers at the Lukeville port sent a motorhome trying to enter Arizona to a secondary inspection after a drug dog alerted to the vehicle. Officers found 120 bundles of marijuana hidden in storage compartments, walls and under the floor of the motorhome, the CBP said. The drugs weighed nearly 2,500 pounds and represents the second-largest marijuana seizure at the Lukeville port. Officers seized the vehicle and drugs and turned the 55-year-old man over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.
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Border Patrol agents and sheriff's deputies arrested three men following a chase Dec. 31, 2017, where the suspects threw marijuana bundles from their truck west of Tucson, Customs and Border Protection said. Agents patrolling near Ajo on Arizona 85 attempted to pull over a northbound Chevrolet pickup truck. The truck sped away from agents, who followed the vehicle. Agents witnessed the occupants of the truck throw bundles of marijuana from the vehicle as they tried to evade capture. Pima County sheriff's deputies joined in the pursuit and followed the truck to a rural road where it struck a fence. The three men in the truck ran away into the desert but were later apprehended. Agents and deputies recovered all the marijuana, including two bundles still inside the truck. The marijuana weighed about 200 pounds and was worth about $100,000, the CBP said. The three men — two Mexican nationals and a U.S. citizen — were arrested on suspicion of drug smuggling. The two illegal immigrants also face immigration violations.
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Border Patrol agents arrested a Sierra Vista man after finding two illegal immigrants hiding in the trunk of his car on Dec. 30, 2017. Agents at the immigration checkpoint at Arizona 90 near Whetstone referred the driver of a Dodge Stratus to a secondary inspection. Agents found the two illegal immigrants, 21 and 29, in the trunk. The driver, 45, was arrested on suspicion of human smuggling. The two illegal immigrants were processed for immigration violations.
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Border Patrol agents arrested the driver of a vehicle who officials said fled from the I-19 immigration checkpoint, fired at agents and crashed the vehicle on Christmas Even near Amado. Customs and Border Protection officials said in a release that the vehicle was sent to the secondary inspection at the I-19 checkpoint but the driver failed to stop and drove away. As agents pursued the Ford Escape, the driver fired multiple shots at the agents. The driver lost control of the vehicle and then crashed and rolled over near kilometer post 56. One of the occupants of the vehicle was thrown from the SUV, the CBP said. Agents discovered the driver had two illegal immigrants in the SUV. All three were taken to the hospital for their injuries and later released. The 21-year-old driver, whose name was not released, was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations on several felony charges, the CBP said. The two illegal immigrants were processed for immigration violations.
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On Nov. 20, 2017, officers at the DeConcini crossing in Nogales seized 40 pounds of meth found hidden in the spare tire of a Dodge pickup truck driven by a 44-year-old man from Mexico. The drugs were worth about $115,000.
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Customs officers in Nogales seized about $840,000 worth of illegal drugs and arrested four people in separate incidents. On Oct. 27, 2017, officers found 133 pounds of marijuana hidden in the GMC SUV of an Eloy woman returning at the DeConcini crossing. The drugs were hidden throughout the vehicle and worth about $66,000, according to a news release from Customs and Border Protection. Later Friday, officers arrested a 24-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman, both from Mexico, after finding 120 pounds of meth (shown above) hidden in their Hyundai SUV at the DeConcini crossing. The drugs, found hidden in the spare tire compartment, were worth about $360,000, the agency said in the release. On Oct. 29, 2017, officers at the DeConcini crossing found more than 36 pounds of cocaine, worth $413,000, hidden in a Dodge Caravan. The 42-year-old Mexican woman driving the van was arrested.
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Customs officers in Nogales seized about $840,000 worth of illegal drugs and arrested four people in separate incidents. On Oct. 27, 2017, officers found 133 pounds of marijuana (shown above) hidden in the GMC SUV of an Eloy woman returning at the DeConcini crossing. The drugs were hidden throughout the vehicle and worth about $66,000, according to a news release from Customs and Border Protection. Later that day officers arrested a 24-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman, both from Mexico, after finding 120 pounds of meth hidden in their Hyundai SUV at the DeConcini crossing. The drugs, found hidden in the spare tire compartment, were worth about $360,000, the agency said in the release. On Oct. 29, 2017, officers at the DeConcini crossing found more than 36 pounds of cocaine, worth $413,000, hidden in a Dodge Caravan. The 42-year-old Mexican woman driving the van was arrested
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Customs and Border Protection officers at the Mariposa cargo facility on Oct. 6, 2017, found more than four pounds of meth and nearly five pounds of heroin, worth about $100,000, hidden in buckets of automotive grease in the cab of a tractor-trailer rig driven by a 30-year-old Mexican man.
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Customs officers at the Port of Nogales seized $900,000 worth of drugs found in a woman's vehicle on Oct. 7, 2017, officials said. Officers at the DeConcini crossing were inspecting a Saturn car and found nearly 63 pounds of heroin, cocaine, meth and hashish hidden in the rear seats. The drugs were worth about $900,000, according to Customs and Border Protection. The 27-year-old Mexican woman driving the vehicle was arrested.
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Customs and Border Protection officers at the Raul Hector Castro Port of Entry in Douglas seized 330 pounds of marijuana hidden in a vehicle on Sept. 22, 2017. Officers sent a 64-year-old woman from Agua Prieta, Sonora, driving a Chevrolet SUV, for a secondary inspection of her vehicle. A CBP narcotics-detection dog alert then led to the discovery of nearly $165,000 worth marijuana hidden throughout the vehicle. Officers seized the drugs and Tahoe, and arrested the woman for drug smuggling. She was then turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
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Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents from the Nogales Station arrested two U.S. citizens, both from Tucson, at the Interstate 19 immigration checkpoint after finding almost 32 pounds of methamphetamine in their vehicle on Sept. 22, 2017. Agents sent the driver of a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu for further inspection after a Border Patrol dog alerted to the vehicle. As a result, agents found 25 packages of methamphetamine hidden in the dash, under the center console and in the trunk. Agents arrested the driver, a 19-year-old male, and his 18-year-old female passenger for drug smuggling. Both suspects, along with the drugs, worth more than $94,000, and vehicle were turned over the Drug Enforcement Administration for processing.
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Two Tucson residents were arrested after Border Patrol agents found two undocumented immigrants hiding in the trunk of their car Thursday near Whetstone. Agents working at the Arizona 90 checkpoint sent a 2008 Infiniti coupe for a secondary inspection after an agency dog alerted to the vehicle. In the trunk, agents found two adult males from Mexico hiding in the trunk, according to a news release from the Customs and Border Protection.
The car's driver, 24, and passenger, 26, both from Tucson, were arrested on suspicion of human smuggling. The two Mexican nationals were being held on immigration violations.
The tactic of concealing humans in the trunks of vehicles is commonly used by smugglers, but it puts those in the trunk in great personal danger, including suffocation, heat stroke or injury from a collision, the CBP said.
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers conducting outbound inspections at Arizona’s Port of Douglas detained a woman Aug. 11, 2017, for failing to report a large sum of U.S. currency she was taking into Mexico. Officers selected the woman, identified as a 36-year-old U.S. citizen, for a secondary inspection as she attempted to cross into Mexico in her 2016 Ford Explorer. After the woman said she had nothing to declare, officers looked in her purse and discovered more than $70,000 in cash and $50,000 in unendorsed cashier’s checks. Officers seized the cash, vehicle and cashier’s checks. The subject was arrested for smuggling of unreported currency and turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. Travelers can carry as much currency as they wish into and out of the United States. Federal law requires that travelers must report all U.S. and foreign money totaling $10,000.
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Border Patrol agents assigned to the Arizona 80 checkpoint near Tombstone arrested two people after finding two Mexican nationals in the trunk of their vehicle on Aug. 11, 2017. A Border Patrol dog alerted agents to a 2009 Chevy Cobalt as it approached the primary inspection lane. The vehicle was referred for a secondary inspection, where agents discovered two adult men locked in the trunk. The female driver and male passenger, both U.S. citizens, face prosecution for smuggling while the two Mexican nationals are pending removal proceedings for immigration violations.
Drug busts
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Mariposa crossing in Nogales arrested a 51-year-old Tucson woman Tuesday evening for attempting to smuggle nearly $130,000 worth of drugs into the United States. Officers sent the woman for further inspection of a 1991 Nissan car she was driving when she attempted to cross, according to a news release from CBP. A CBP drug dog alerted to the vehicle’s dashboard, where officers found a hidden compartment. Officers seized more than five pounds of meth, worth in excess of $16,000; almost three pounds of cocaine, valued at more than $31,000; a little more than a pound of heroin, worth an estimated $23,500; and more than 3½ pounds of fentanyl, with an estimated value of more than $58,000. The woman was arrested for narcotics smuggling and turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the DeConcini crossing in Nogales seized meth and heroin from three women from Anchorage, Alaska, last weekend. Agents working the pedestrian crossing sent the three women, ages 33, 30 and 29, for further inspection on July 21, 2017. A search revealed that two of the women were concealing meth within their body cavities, according to CBP. The third woman had a package of heroin hidden in her purse. The drugs weighed more than a pound and had a combined value of $11,000. The drugs were seized and the women were arrested on suspicion of drug smuggling.
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Border Patrol agents found a half-ton of marijuana abandoned in a rural area east of Nogales on July 24, 2017. The bundled drugs were worth about $550,000, according to a news release from Customs and Border Protection. The agency said a Border Patrol K-9 team was patrolling a rural mountain road east of Nogales and found foot prints along a known smuggling route. The team followed the foot prints to a wooded area a few miles away. Agents searched the area and found 24 bundles of marijuana weighing about 1,100 pounds. No smugglers were found. The agents transported the marijuana to the Nogales Station for processing.
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On June 25, 2017, a Border Patrol K-9 team was working at the State Route 90 immigration checkpoint when the dog alerted to a silver Mazda 6. Agents discovered a 26 year-old Mexican man in the trunk. Agents arrested the driver and a front-seat passenger, both U.S. citizens, on suspicion of smuggling. The Mexican national was processed for immigration violations.
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U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Willcox Station seized more than 220 pounds of marijuana on Saturday, June 24, 2017, at the State Route 191 immigration checkpoint. Agents referred a white Chevrolet pickup truck for a secondary inspection after a Border Patrol dog alerted to an odor it was trained to detect. A search of the truck revealed more than 220 pounds of marijuana, worth in excess of $110,000, hidden in suitcases in the truck’s bed. Agents arrested the male driver, a 66-year-old U.S. citizen, for contraband smuggling.
Fentanyl bust
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Mariposa crossing seized 23 pounds of fentanyl, worth about $376,000, from a Hyundai SUV on Saturday, June 24, 2017. Officers using a drug-sniffing dog found the drugs along with 57 pounds of meth and nearly five pounds of heroin. The vehicle was occupied by a 37-year-old Mexican man and 28-year-old Mexican woman. The drugs in total were worth more than $600,000.
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Border Patrol agents from the Ajo Station found a large marijuana load in the Ajo Mountains on May 16, 2017. Agents assigned to the all-terrain unit responded to suspected drug smuggling activity detected by a surveillance camera in the Ajo Mountains. Ten bundles of marijuana weighing more than 460 lbs., with an estimated value of $232,000, were discovered in the brush. Agents searched but did not find the smugglers.
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A Nogales, Arizona woman was arrested Tuesday when she attempted to smuggle heroin at a border crossing. Officers detained the 47-year-old woman for further inspection when she attempted to enter the state from Mexico through a Nogales pedestrian lane, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection news release. During an inspection, officers found nearly three pounds of heroin taped to her buttocks. The heroin had an estimated value of more than $45,000, authorities said.
Hearse marijuana
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Border Patrol agents working near the immigration checkpoint on Arizona 80 near Tombstone found more than just the dearly departed inside a hearse on Saturday — 67 pounds of marijuana.
Agents working near the checkpoint noticed a white hearse traveling north of Tombstone and conducted an immigration vehicle stop at Arizona 82 and Arizona 90. After questioning the driver, a drug-sniffing dog was requested and alerted to an odor coming from the hearse. Agents removed a casket and found more than $33,000 worth of marijuana inside. Mixed in with the drugs were several bags of marijuana designed to mask the odor of the pot.
The hearse and drugs were seized. The driver, a 28-year-old man from the United States, was arrested on suspicion of drug smuggling.
Lukeville marijuana bust
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On April 16, 2017, officers sent a 40-year-old man from Green Valley and his 24-year-old female passenger for further inspection of his Ford truck. With the aid of a drug dog officers found more than 150 pounds of marijuana, worth almost $77,000, within the truck’s bed.
Motorhome pot bust
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CBP agents at the Lukeville Port of Entry arrested four U.S. citizens and seized more than 2,800 pounds of marijuana in two separate Easter weekend smuggling attempts. On Saturday, a 55-year-old man from Glendale traveling with a 58-year-old woman from Phoenix were sent for a secondary inspection of his motorhome, according to a news release from Customs and Border Protection. A CBP drug dog led officers to multiple marijuana bundles, weighing more than 2,600 pounds and valued in excess of $1.3 million.
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Customs officers at the DeConcini crossing in Nogales seized about 66 pounds ofmeth worth nearly $200,000 that was found in the Dodge van driven by a 30 year old Mexican man.
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Customs officers at the Mariposa crossing in Nogales seized about 27 pounds of meth found in a Chevrolet sedan driven by a 56-year-old Mexican national on April 1, 2017.
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Customs officers at the DeConcini crossing in Nogales seized about 18 pounds of meth found hidden in a Honda sedan driven by a Tucson woman on April 1, 2017. The drugs were worth about $54,000.
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A 32-year-old Mexican national was arrested after officers found about $335,000 worth of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and oxycodone in his vehicle at the DeConcini crossing in Nogales on March 21, 2017. The man was sent to a secondary inspection where a drug dog alerted to a speaker box in the trunk of his Chevrolet sedan, according to a Customs and Border Protection news release. Inside officers found 2 pounds of cocaine, nearly 15 pounds of heroin, 17 pounds of meth and a package containing about 1,000 oxycodone pills.
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A 32-year-old Mexican national was arrested after officers found about $335,000 worth of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and oxycodone in his vehicle at the DeConcini crossing in Nogales on March 21, 2017. The man was sent to a secondary inspection where a drug dog alerted to a speaker box in the trunk of his Chevrolet sedan, according to a Customs and Border Protection news release. Inside officers found 2 pounds of cocaine, nearly 15 pounds of heroin, 17 pounds of meth and a package containing about 1,000 oxycodone pills.
Trailer with marijuana
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U.S. Border Patrol agents seized more than 1,100 pounds of marijuana, valued at almost $580,000, found in a Chevrolet pickup truck and horse trailer near Nogales on Friday evening.An agent conducting surveillance on the east side of Nogales saw a suspicious truck pulling a trailer. Another agent responded and found the truck driving north away from the city. As the agent followed the truck and before the agent attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver slowed and jumped from the still-moving vehicle and ran away. The truck and trailer stopped after driving off the road and hitting a tree. Agents securing the vehicles noticed the truck and trailer contained bundles of marijuana. Other agents arrived on scene to assist in a search for the driver but were unable to find him. The truck and trailer were towed to the Nogales Station where agents unloaded 48 marijuana bundles.
U.S. Border Patrol agents seized more than 1,100 pounds of marijuana, valued at almost $580,000, found in a Chevrolet pickup truck and horse trailer near Nogales on Friday evening.
Marijuana bundles
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Border Patrol agents arrested five Honduran nationals and recovered more than 300 pounds of marijuana on the Tohono O'odham Nation on Sunday. The drugs were worth about $150,000. Agents on off-road motorcycles followed footprints near the village of Vaya Chin along a known smuggling route. The followed the prints to the Sierra Blanca Mountains and discovered 13 bales of marijuana. Agents continued searching and found four men and a juvenile nearby. All were Hondurans in the country illegally.
Meth legs
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Customs and Border Protection officers arrested a Nogales, Sonora, man after finding about five pounds of meth strapped around his midsection and his calves on Dec. 23, 2016 at the Mariposa crossing in Nogales.
Douglas weapons
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On Feb. 19, officers at the Douglas port of entry conducting outbound inspections sent a 29-year-old Mexican man for a secondary inspection when he attempted to leave the U.S. on a bicycle. Officers discovered the cyclist was carrying a Ruger MKII .22 caliber handgun, magazines, a rifle scope, several knives, binoculars, ammunition, and two-way radios.
Drugs in firewood
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Port of Sasabe arrested a Tucson man Wednesday for attempting to smuggle more than 100 pounds of marijuana worth an estimated $53,000 hidden inside mesquite logs. After a CBP drug dog alerted to a Ford truck driven by the 41-year-old man, officers found the drugs hidden within a shipment of mesquite firewood. The marijuana was discovered after officers off loaded the firewood and split it in half. Officers seized the drugs and vehicle, and turned the man over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Heroin in motorcycle
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Customs officers at the DeConcini crossing in Nogales arrested a man after finding nearly $460,000 worth of heroin hidden in the gas tank of his motorcycle. The 32-year-old man from Obregon, Sonora, was sent to a secondary inspection after a drug dog alerted to his BMW motorcycle. Upon further inspection, officers found nearly 30 pounds of heroin in the fuel tank. The drugs and motorcycle were seized. The man was turned over the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.
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Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Interstate 19 immigration checkpoint near Amado arrested a U.S. citizen Monday after finding two Mexican nationals in the trunk of a vehicle. Agents reported the Mexican nationals, an adult male and a male juvenile, had no knowledge of how to escape from the trunk in case of an emergency. The driver is being prosecuted for smuggling while the two illegal immigrants are being returned to Mexico.
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Federal authorities seized 88 pounds of heroin Jan. 21, 2017 at the Mariposa crossing in Nogales, Arizona.
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Customs and Border Protection officers at the Mariposa crossing in Nogales arrested a Mexican national Friday for attempting to transport almost $211,000 in unreported U.S. currency. Officers conducting outbound inspections sent a 45-year-old man from Nogales, Sonora, for an inspection of his Chevrolet truck and found the currency in the vehicle’s dashboard. Officers seized the vehicle and money, and turned the man over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Meth body
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Customs and Border Protection officers arrested a Nogales, Sonora, man after finding about five pounds of meth strapped around his midsection and his calves on Dec. 23, 2016 at the Mariposa crossing in Nogales.
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Border Patrol agents from the Sonoita station working at the immigration checkpoint on Arizona 83 arrested a 47-year-old Tucson woman on Dec. 12 after finding two illegal immigrants from Mexico in the trunk of her Mercedes sedan. Agents also reported that the Mexican nationals had no knowledge on how to escape from the trunk in case of an emergency, according to a news release from Customs and Border Protection. Agents seized the vehicle and arrested the driver, a U.S. citizen, who now faces criminal charges for human smuggling. The Mexican nationals are pending removal proceedings.
Marijuana seizure
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CBP officers on Nov. 25, 2106 seized 1,600 pounds of marijuana hidden in an empty tractor-trailer rig at the Mariposa crossing.
Meth seizure
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Customs and Border Protection officers at the Mariposa crossing in Nogales seized 350 pounds of meth hidden among a shipment of Chinese vegetables on Nov. 23, 2016. The drugs were worth about $1.1 million.
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Border Patrol agents near Casa Grande discovered two illegal immigrants being smuggled in the trunk of a car on Nov. 22, 2016. The agents stopped a vehicle and determined one of the occupants was an illegal immigrant. Upon further investigation, agents discovered two more occupants hiding in the trunk. All three were Mexican nationals. The two hiding in the trunk were not aware the vehicle had an escape latch in case of an emergency.
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CBP officers at the DeConcini crossing in Nogales seized on Oct. 26, 2016, about 128 pounds of meth hidden in steel boxes inside the tires of a GMC truck driven by a 36-year-old woman from California. The drugs were worth nearly $400,000.
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Officers at the Douglas port of entry seized nearly 260 pounds of marijuana found hidden throught a Pontiac SUV driven by an 18-year-old Tucson woman. The drugs were worth about $129,000, according to a news release from Customs and Border Protection. Officers seized the drugs and vehicle, and turned the subject over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
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On Oct. 24, officers at the Douglas port of entry seized about $2,600 worth of marijuana that was found taped to the torso of a 66-year-old Douglas man who attempted to cross through the pedestrian lane, according to a news release from Customs and Border Protection. The drugs were seized and the man was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.
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Customs and Border Protection officers at the Raul Hector Castro Port of Entry in Douglas found more than $136,000 worth of marijuana hidden throughout a Pontiac SUV driven by a 25-year-old Douglas man on Oct. 21, according to a news release from the agency. The drugs and vehicle were seized. The man was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
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A 25-year-old Nogales, Sonora, man was arrested at the border after Customs and Border Protection officers found 6 pounds of heroin hidden in a suitcase in the bus he was riding in. The drugs were worth about $103,000.
Baby formula heroin
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Customs and Border Protection officers on Sept. 13, 2016, found $50,000 worth of heroin hidden in a container of powdered baby formula. Officers at the Morley crossing referred a woman, who was traveling with her 2-year-old son, for further inspection as she tried to cross. During a search, officers found three pounds of packaged heroin in the container. The child was turned over to family members. The 31-year-old woman from Nogales, Sonora, was turned over to ICE's Homeland Security Investigations.
Xbox filled with meth
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Customs officers in Nogales seized more than 3 pounds of meth found hidden inside an Xbox gaming console. On Sept. 15, officers at the Morley pedestrian crossing sent a 16-year-old Nogales, Sonora, teen for further questioning when he attempted to cross into the U.S. Officers found the drugs after a service dog alerted to the gaming system, according to a news release from Customs and Border Protection. The drugs were worth about $10,000. The teen was turned over to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.
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Customs officers in Nogales seized 160 pounds of cocaine hidden in an SUV on Sept. 9. Customs and Border Protection said in a news release the drugs were worth about $1.8 million. The agency said officers working at the DeConcini crossing in Nogales sent the driver of a Hyundai SUV to a secondary inspection. There, a drug dog found the cocaine in a rear cargo area. The driver, a 27-year-old man from Hermosillo, Sonora, was arrested.
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Nearly a half-pound of meth was found in a woman's underwear by officers at the DeConcini border crossing in Nogales on Sept. 10, 2016. The drugs were wroth about $1,300.
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On Aug. 27 2016, agents at the DeConcini crossing in Nogales sent a woman from Hermosillo, Sonora, to a secondary inspection. There, a drug dog found nearly 72 pounds of meth hidden in the KIA van she was driving. The drugs were worth about $215,000, according to a news release from Customs and Border Protection.
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Customs agents in Nogales seized about 3 pounds of meth taped to this woman's legs on Aug. 19, 2016. The drugs were worth about $3,400.
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Customs agents in Nogales seized about 3 pounds of meth taped to this woman's legs on Aug. 19, 2016. The drugs were worth about $3,400.
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A 26-year-old Nogales, Sonora, woman was arrested by Customs agents after trying to enter the United States with more than five pounds of meth taped to her legs, officials said.
On Aug. 16, the woman was crossing at the Morley pedestrian crossing in Nogales when she was selected for a secondary inspection. There, agents found the packages taped to her shins, according to a Customs and Border Protection news release. The drugs were worth more than $15,000. The woman was turned over to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.
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Customs agents at the Dennis DeConcini crossing in Nogales arrested a 16-year-old old girl after finding more than two pounds of heroin hidden in her bra on Aug. 15. The girl was crossing through a pedestrian lane when she was sent for a secondary inspection, according to a news release from Customs and Border Protection. The drugs were worth about $40,000.
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Border Patrol agents found a man inside a hidden compartment in a Ford Expediation at the Interstate 19 checkpoint south of Tucson on Aug. 14, 2016.
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Border Patrol agents found a man inside a hidden compartment in a Ford Expediation at the Interstate 19 checkpoint south of Tucson on Aug. 14, 2016.
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Federal officers found Mexican pork sausage, or chorizo, wrapped in diapers in a suitcase of a Mexican national traveling into the United States at a Nogales, Arizona port of entry Aug. 5, 2016. The woman was fined.
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On Aug. 8, 2016, officers at the DeConcini crossing seized more than a ¼ pound of cocaine hidden in a body cavity of a 33-year-old Tucson woman who was entering through a pedestrian lane. A drug dog alerted to the drugs, according to a news release from Customs and Border Protection. The drugs were worth about $3,000.
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Customs officers at the Morley pedestrian crossing in Nogales seized more than a pound of heroin that was hidden in a man's shoes as he tried to cross Aug. 8, 2016. The drugs were shaped as an insole in the man's shoes, according to a Customs and Border Protection news release. The drugs were worth about $21,000.
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Customs and Border Protection officers at the Raul Hector Castro Port of Entry in Douglas arrested a Douglas man in connection with a failed attempt to smuggle nearly 164 pounds of marijuana into the United States on July 8, 2016. Officers sent the 47-year-old man for a secondary inspection of his GMC truck, where a CBP narcotics dog alerted to multiple packages of marijuana, valued in excess of $159,000, within the back cab wall and camper of the vehicle, according to a CBP news release. The drugs were seized and the man was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.
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An 18-year-old man from Tucson was arrested June 24, 2016, after agents at the Morley crossing in Nogales found 1 pound of meth wrapped to his legs. The drugs were worth about $3,000.
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Officers working the Morley pedestrian crossing found nearly a pound of meth in he socks of a Tucson man trying to cross June 22, 2016, into the U.S., officials said. The drugs were worth about $2,600, according to a news release from Customs and Border Protection. The 30-year-old man was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations. It was one of two meth seizures the CBP officers made on Wednesday at the Port of Nogales. In the the other incident, officers at the DeConcini crossing seized about 25 pounds of meth that was found in the gas tank of a Saturn sedan driven by a 23-year-old man from Nogales, Sonoar. The drugs were worth $76,000, the CBP said. He was also turned over to ICE's Homeland Security Investigations.
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Customs and Border Protection officers at the DeConcini crossing in Nogales seized on June 22, 2016, about 25 pounds of meth that was found in the gas tank of a Saturn sedan driven by a 23-year-old man from Nogales, Sonora. The drugs were worth $76,000, the CBP said. The driver was also turned over to Immigration and Custom Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.
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Customs officers found a pound of meth hidden in tamales on June 13, 2016. A 19-year-old Nogales, Arizona, man attempted to bring the drugs into the Untied States through the Morley Pedestrian Gate in downtown Nogales, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a news release. The man reportedly told port officers a bag he was carrying contained food items. But on further inspection the officers found the tamales packed with meth valued at more than $3,000.
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Customs and Border Protection officers arrested a Mexican national after she allegedly attempted to smuggle nearly 51 pounds of meth through the Port of Nogales on June 11. CBP officers at the Dennis DeConcini crossing referred a 45-year-old Obregon, Sonora, resident for further inspection of her Mitsubishi SUV. Officers found multiple packages of meth, worth about $153,000, concealed in the vehicle’s firewall. Officers turned the woman over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations after seizing the drugs and the vehicle.
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Seven undocumented immigrants, including children hiding in car trunks, were taken into custody June 1, 2016, at Interstate 19 checkpoints. Border Patrol agents found the people in two separate incidents, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection news release. Shortly before 6 p.m., agents referred a white four-door sedan for a secondary inspection and discovered three immigrants concealed in the trunk after the driver consented to a vehicle search, authorities said. The three were Mexican nationals, and one was 16 years old. Less than an hour later, agents found four undocumented immigrants from Guatemala in a car trunk. Two of the immigrants were under the age of 14, said officials. Both cars did not have emergency releases inside the trunks, and did not have ventilation, agents said. The drivers of both vehicles were arrested, officials said. The inside temperature of closed trunks can reach in excess of 125 degrees during summer months in Arizona, officials said.
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Seven undocumented immigrants, including children hiding in car trunks, were taken into custody June 1, 2016, at Interstate 19 checkpoints. Border Patrol agents found the people in two separate incidents, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection news release. Shortly before 6 p.m., agents referred a white four-door sedan for a secondary inspection and discovered three immigrants concealed in the trunk after the driver consented to a vehicle search, authorities said. The three were Mexican nationals, and one was 16 years old. Less than an hour later, agents found four undocumented immigrants from Guatemala in a car trunk. Two of the immigrants were under the age of 14, said officials. Both cars did not have emergency releases inside the trunks, and did not have ventilation, agents said. The drivers of both vehicles were arrested, officials said.The inside temperature of closed trunks can reach in excess of 125 degrees during summer months in Arizona, officials said.
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On May 22, 2016, Customs and Border Protection officers at the Mariposa crossing arrested a husband and wife after finding nearly 24 pounds of cocaine, worth about $271,000, and nearly 10 pounds of meth, worth about $28,900.
border busts
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On May 22, 2016, Customs and Border Protection officers at DeConcini arrested a 60-year-old Glendale woman after finding 27 pounds of meth, worth nearly $82,000, and more than 3 pounds of heroin, worth about $54,000, hidden in the tailgate of her Ford truck.
Border busts
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Customs officers in Nogales seized a bag of burritos worth about $3,000 from a woman trying to enter into Arizona on May 20, 2016. Customs and Border Protection said the Nogales, Arizona, woman was crossing at the Morley Pedestrian Gate when a drug dog alerted to her bag of burritos, according to the agency. Agents inspected the bag and found the burritos held about a pound of meth, worth about $3,000. The 23-year-old woman was arrested. The drugs and burritos were seized.
Border busts
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Customs agents in Nogales seized three handguns hidden in an SUV that was crossing into Mexico. On May 4, 2016, agents at the Port of Nogales sent an Audi SUV to a secondary inspection, where they found three handguns with magazines hidden under the vehicle's front seat, according to a press release from Customs and Border Protection. Officers found two 9 mm Berettas and a .38-caliber Colt. The driver, a 37-year-old Mexican national, was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.
Border busts
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Customs and Border Protection agents at the DeConcini crossing in Nogales seized about 3 pounds of cocaine, worth about $30,000, that was taped to the body of a 22-year-old Nogales, Arizona, man on May 3, 2016.
Border busts
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Customs and Border Protection officers at the Morley pedestrian crossing seized about four pounds of meth taped to the legs of a 25-year-old woman from Mexicon on May 3, 2016. The drugs were worth about $12,000.
Border busts
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Customs agents seized about 152 pounds of liquid meth that was found in the gas tank of a vehicle trying to cross through the DeConcini port of entry in Nogales. On April 23, 2016, a drug dog alerted to the Ford SUV and the vehicle was sent to a secondary inspection, according to a Customs and Border Protection news release. Agents found the liquid meth in the SUV's gas tank. The drugs were worth about $457,000.
Border busts
Updated
Customs agents seized about 152 pounds of liquid meth that was found in the gas tank of a vehicle trying to cross through the DeConcini port of entry in Nogales. On April 23, 2016, a drug dog alerted to the Ford SUV and the vehicle was sent to a secondary inspection, according to a Customs and Border Protection news release. Agents found the liquid meth in the SUV's gas tank. The drugs were worth about $457,000.
Border busts
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Customs and Border Protection agents at the DeConcini crossing in Nogales seized 24 pounds of cocaine and more than 40 pounds of meth hidden in a Pontiac sedan driven by a 66-year-old Honduran woman. The drugs, worth a total of about $390,000, were found in a rear door panel on April 20, 2016.
Border busts
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At the Mariposa crossing in Nogales, Customs and Border Protection officers found 20 pounds of cocaine in a Volkswagen driven by a 44-year-old Mexican national on April 20, 2016. The drugs, worth about $223,000, were found in a rear speaker compartment.
Border busts
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Customs and Border Protection agents at the Mariposa crossing in Nogales found 16 pounds of cocaine inside the drive shaft of a vehicle driven by a 25-year-old Mexican national on April 20, 2016. The drugs were worth about $180,000.
Border busts
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On April 19, 2016, Customs and Border Protection officers at the Douglas port of entry seized 238 pounds of marijuana hidden throughout a Pontiac sedan. The drugs were worth about $119,000. The driver, a 29-year-old woman from Agua Prieta, Sonora, was arrested.
Border busts
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CBP officers at the Douglas port of entry seized 71 pounds of marijuana hidden in the headliner of a Jeep SUV on April 15, 2016. The driver, a 27-year-old woman from Cananea, Sonora, was arrested. The marijuana was worth about $35,000.
Border busts
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Customs and Border Protection officers at the Port of Nogales seized 54 pounds of cocaine worth about $600,000 on April 13, 2016. Two women were arrested after the drugs were found hidden in their vehicle, according to the CBP
Border busts
Updated
Customs and Border Protection officers at the Port of Nogales seized 54 pounds of cocaine worth about $600,000 on April 13, 2016. Two women were arrested after the drugs were found hidden in their vehicle.
Border busts
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A man and woman were arrested after authorities found guns and ammunition in the SUV they were in that was trying to enter Mexico through the Port of Nogales, officials said. On March 27, 2016, agents selected a Ford SUV for secondary inspection. Agents then found two rifles, rifle components and 3,000 rounds of ammunition in the vehicle, according to Customs and Border Protection. The guns and ammo were seized and the man and woman were turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.
Border busts
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U.S. authorities have discovered a cross-border smuggling tunnel east of the Morley Port of Entry in Nogales, Arizona. The tunnel extended about 30 feet into the United States and was discovered after Border Patrol agents received information from Mexican authorities on Monday, according to Customs and Border Protection. The tunnel was about 80 feet long and was determined to be incomplete, the CBP said. Since 1990, there have been 110 tunnels discovered in Nogales.
Border busts
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TUCSON, Ariz. – Customs and Border Protection officers at the DeConcini port of entry in Nogales seized 36 pounds of meth, more than 8 pounds of heroin and nearly 3 pounds of cocaine from a Chevrolet sedan on Feb. 29, 2016. The 38-year-old driver was arrested.
border busts
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Customs and Border Protection officers arrested a Mexican national after officers found 30 pounds of methamphetamine, worth in excess of $90,000, at the Port of Nogales on Feb. 24, 2016. Officers at the Dennis DeConcini crossing referred a 52-year-old legal permanent resident alien living in Nogales, Arizona, for further inspection of her Ford SUV. During the search, officers found meth packages in the back of the vehicle. After seizing the vehicle and drugs, officers turned the woman over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Border busts
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Customs officers seized about 5,500 pounds of marijuana from a tractor-trailer rig crossing at a Nogales port of entry. The drugs are worth about $2.75 million, according to a Customs and Border Protection news release. On Feb. 24, 2016, CBP officers at the Mariposa Commercial Facility found the drugs in the rig that was being driven by a 29-year-old man from Nogales, Sonora. The drugs were in boxes identified as electronic items. Officers seized the entire shipment and turned the driver over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations. The seizure comes less than two weeks after CBP officers seized 17,000 pounds of marijuana at the Nogales port.
Border busts
Updated
Customs officers seized about 5,500 pounds of marijuana from a tractor-trailer rig crossing at a Nogales port of entry. The drugs are worth about $2.75 million, according to a Customs and Border Protection news release. On Feb. 24, 2016, CBP officers at the Mariposa Commercial Facility found the drugs in the rig that was being driven by a 29-year-old man from Nogales, Sonora. The drugs were in boxes identified as electronic items. Officers seized the entire shipment and turned the driver over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations. The seizure comes less than two weeks after CBP officers seized 17,000 pounds of marijuana at the Nogales port.
Border busts
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The Department of Public Safety arrested 40 suspected drug smugglers in a four-day operation from Feb. 4-7, 2016, in Pinal and Maricopa counties. The Border Strike Force seized 3,743 pounds of marijuana, two firearms and three stolen vehicles in the operation. The 40 arrests made in the operation included 34 citizens of Mexico, 5 citizens of the United States, and 1 undocumented person from a country other than Mexico. The firearms seized were a military-style rifle and a handgun. The Border Strike Force Bureau’s operation was assisted by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Border Patrol, Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office and others.
Border busts
Updated
The Department of Public Safety arrested 40 suspected drug smugglers in a four-day operation from Feb. 4-7, 2016, in Pinal and Maricopa counties. The Border Strike Force seized 3,743 pounds of marijuana, two firearms and three stolen vehicles in the operation. The 40 arrests made in the operation included 34 citizens of Mexico, 5 citizens of the United States, and 1 undocumented person from a country other than Mexico. The firearms seized were a military-style rifle and a handgun. The Border Strike Force Bureau’s operation was assisted by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Border Patrol, Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office and others.
Border busts
Updated
The Department of Public Safety arrested 40 suspected drug smugglers in a four-day operation from Feb. 4-7, 2016, in Pinal and Maricopa counties. The Border Strike Force seized 3,743 pounds of marijuana, two firearms and three stolen vehicles in the operation. The 40 arrests made in the operation included 34 citizens of Mexico, 5 citizens of the United States, and 1 undocumented person from a country other than Mexico. The firearms seized were a military-style rifle and a handgun. The Border Strike Force Bureau’s operation was assisted by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Border Patrol, Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office and others.
border busts
Updated
DPS state troopers seized 41 pounds of meth and 10 pounds of heroin from a car on Interstate 10 north of Tucson on Feb. 8, 2016. The drugs had a street value of about $400,000. One man was arrested.
Border busts
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Methamphetamine worth more than $1.1 million was seized at the Nogales port of entry — making it the largest meth seizure in Arizona port history, federal authorities said. The seizure on Feb. 5, 2016, led to the arrest of a Mexican national for the alleged attempt to smuggle more than 387 pounds of meth in a load of bell peppers, according to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection news release. Juan Rodolfo Lugo-Urias, 35, of Playas de Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico was taken into custody by officers at the Mariposa Commercial Facility. A drug-sniffing dog alerted officers when Lugo-Urias attempted to enter Nogales, Arizona through the port. The dog alerted officers to the presence of drugs inside the trailer's front wall and rear doors. Nearly 400 packages of meth were removed from the tractor-trailer, authorities said. The drugs and vehicle were seized and Lugo-Urias was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.
Border busts
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Customs and Border Protection officers at the Mariposa crossing in Nogales seized nearly 540 pounds of marijuana, worth about $270,000, from a RV crossing into Arizona on Jan. 19, 2016. Two men, one from Wickenburg and one from Yuma, were arrested.
Border busts
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On Jan. 21, 2016, Customs and Border Protection officers at the Mariposa crossing in Nogales seized nearly 29 pounds of heroin, worth about $404,000, and nearly 6 pounds of meth, valued at about $16,000, from a Nissan sedan being driven by a permanent resident alien living in Nogales, Arizona.
Border busts
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On Jan. 8, 2016, officers at the Douglas port of entry seized about 120 pounds of marijuana worth about $60,000. The 19-year-old driver from Douglas was arrested after agents found the drugs hidden in the Volvo SUV she was driving, according to Customs and Border Protection.
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Officers at Douglas crossing found the military-style rifle.
The marijuana was concealed throughout a Chevrolet SUV.
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