A Mexican national was arrested Thursday on charges that he tried to smuggle nearly 1,850 pounds of marijuana in the United States.
The Nogales, Sonora, man was sent to secondary inspection of his tractor-trailer rig while trying to cross the Mariposa Port of Entry, according to a news release from Customs and Border Protection.
Officers found 200 bundles of marijuana worth about $924,000 hidden among a shipment of watermelons.
The drugs and vehicle were seized. The 32-year-old driver was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.
Meanwhile, CBP officers at the Port of Douglas seized nearly $132,000 worth of marijuana in two separate incidents Wednesday.
β A 22-year-old Mexican national was arrested for trying to smuggle 140 small packages of marijuana with a combined weight exceeding 204 pounds in his vehicle. The drugs were worth an estimated $102,000.
β Also, a 24-year-old Tucson man was taken into custody after officers discovered nearly 61 pounds of marijuana worth in excess of $30,000. The marijuana, in 55 packages, was discovered in the man's Scion sedan.
