A former federal agent in Nogales was sentenced to five years of probation after he pleaded guilty to selling firearms without a license.
Joseph Gill, a 42-year-old former supervisory special agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration, sold a Colt model M4LE 5.56-caliber semi-automatic rifle in July 2016 to a suspected drug trafficker, which came to light during a federal investigation of the drug-trafficking organization.
The rifle was smuggled into Mexico and a nearly identical rifle sold by Gill was seized on a shuttle heading into Mexico through Nogales, U.S. District Court records show.
Gill pleaded guilty in August to a felony charge of selling firearms without a license, with reason to believe the buyers of the rifles would use them unlawfully, court records show. He faced up to two years in prison under his plea agreement.
At a sentencing hearing Monday, Gill said he had sold firearms for many years, calling it a “hobby that I took to an extreme.” He said he did not know the buyers of the rifles were part of a drug-trafficking organization, but “I should have known better and I should have done better.”
District Court Judge Raner C. Collins said he was “torn” about how to sentence Gill, but decided to “give him the benefit of the doubt.”
The first six months of Gill’s five years of probation will be served on home detention, Collins said. He ordered Gill to pay a $15,000 fine and perform 500 hours of community service. Gill is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Gill resigned from the DEA on June 30 after 14 years with the agency.
Photos: Border busts 2018
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.
Border busts
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A Tucson man was arrested after he attempted to smuggle $793,000 worth of meth and heroin on Dec. 10, officials said. The drugs were found in the truck bed and a door.
Border busts: Human smuggling
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New biometric technology helped border officers stop two "impostors" from entering the U.S. in San Luis on Oct. 6. The two men tried to use fake permanent resident documents.
Read more here.
Border bust: Human smuggling
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Two U.S. teens were arrested for attempting to smuggle seven illegal immigrants inside a stolen truck Oct. 2. The 17-year-old boys also fled from agents in a Ford F-250 near the I-19 checkpoint.
Two illegal immigrants were found in the rear seat and five more in the truck bed.
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On Oct. 12, Border agents arrested three people, including two U.S. citizens, for attempting to smuggle meth in Nogales.
A 18-year-old Nogales man was sent for additional screening when an agency canine alerted to an odor coming from the Dodge Ram. Agents found 53 packages of meth worth $175,260.
Agents later found nearly 90 pounds of meth hidden in the vehicle of a 26-year-old Mexican woman and 22-year-old Rio Rico woman. The drugs were valued at $271,140.
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A 30-year-old man was caught with nearly $600 worth of meth taped to his left leg at the Port of San Luis Oct. 12.
A records check found the man had an outstanding arrest warrant for possession of marijuana, which led agents to discover the meth.
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Border agents arrested two people for attempted drug smuggling in Nogales Oct. 16. Officers found 26 pounds of fentanyl and 2.5 pounds of heroin inside a 33-year-old U.S. woman's car. The combined value of the drugs was $428,000.
A 46-year-old Mexican man was later arrested attempting to smuggle $185,000 worth of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine inside a car.
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A 27-year-old Mexican woman was arrested in Nogales after Customs and Border Protection officers found more than 22 pounds of meth in her car Oct. 1. The drugs were valued at more than $67,000 officials said.
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On Sept. 18, border agents seized 38 packages of drugs from a vehicle at a Nogales border crossing. Agents later arrested a 36-year-old man believed to be a Mexican national.
Read more here.
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Agents seized $357,000 worth of drugs during the weekend of Aug. 17 to Aug. 19. Agents arrested two people, including a 39-year-old Cuban national.
Read more here.
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Nogales border agents arrested seven people at a Interstate 19 checkpoint from Sept. 1- Sept. 2, including a 17-year-old who attempted to smuggle cocaine.
Read more here.
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Border agents arrested two U.S. citizens after they seized 47 pounds of meth in a rear passenger door and tailgate of their Nissan Titan Aug. 20. The drugs were valued at more than $150,000, the agency said in a news release. The men are facing charges of narcotics smuggling.
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Eight trash bugs packed with marijuana was pulled from the trunk of a vehicle by Border Patrol agents Aug. 7. Agents initially referred a 34-year-old man for a secondary inspection of his car at the Interstate 19 Immigration Checkpoint.
Officers discovered the drugs which were valued at $86,000. The man was arrested and faces a charge of drug smuggling, officials said.
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Two people were arrested after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers found their hidden drugs in separate incidents in Nogales July 31. A 34-year-old man was sent for further inspection of his Ford tuck when officers found $63,000 worth of fentanyl and $45,000 worth of cocaine in the rear of the truck.
That same afternoon, officers seized a quarter-pound of meth a 50-year-old woman had hidden in a body cavity. In both incidents the smugglers were trying to re-enter the U.S.
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Two women were arrested after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers found methamphetamine and heroin in their vehicles Aug. 3. When inspecting a 37-year-old woman's Jeep at the DeConcini Crossing, officers found 59 pounds of meth worth about $178,000.
That evening officers referred a 20-year-old woman for further inspection where they found four pounds of heroin worth more than $116,000 and 17 pounds of meth valued at $51,000.
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A Tucson man was arrested after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers found methamphetamine heavily taped to his left leg at a Nogales checkpoint. Officers say the drugs were worth more than $2,700. The man faces a charge of narcotics smuggling.
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A 21-year-old man was arrested after officers found 130 pounds of marijuana in his vehicle Aug. 7. A drug dog first alerted officers to an odor coming from the vehicle before searching the vehicle. The drugs were valued at $65,000.
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Border agents arrested a 21-year-old man after referring his vehicle for further inspection at the San Luis border crossing July 25. Agents found nine pounds of heroin, 65 pounds of meth and close to 70 fentanyl pills in the car's quarter panels. The estimated value for the heroin was $150,000, with the meth at $195,000, authorities said.
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Border Patrol agents arrested a 42-year-old Nogales woman after discovering 2 pounds of brown heroin concealed in her undergarments, Customs and Border Protection said. On Wednesday, July 11, 2018, agents at the Interstate 19 checkpoint referred a shuttle van for a routine secondary inspection. During the inspection, agents found the woman concealed four packages of brown heroin on her body. She was arrested on suspicion of drug smuggling.
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Border Patrol agents arrested a Kansas man on suspicion of human smuggling after two illegal immigrants were found hiding in his vehicle at the Interstate 19 checkpoint south of Tucson, according to Customs and Border Protection. The agency said the driver and passenger of a Dodge Ram pickup truck were sent to a secondary inspection July 10, 2018. While questioning them, agents found a third person hiding under the rear bench seat of the truck. Agents determined the passenger and person found hiding under the seat were in the country illegally. The truck was also reported stolen. Agents arrested the driver, a 33-year-old man from Kingman, Kansas, on suspicion of human smuggling. The two passengers were arrested for immigration violations. The truck was turned over to the Department of Public Safety.
Marijuana bust
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Border Patrol agents with the Ajo Station arrested a 61-year-old Phoenix man Friday, July 6, after finding more than 1,400 pounds of marijuana, worth in excess of $700,000, concealed in a flatbed trailer at the Arizona 85 immigration checkpoint. An agent working the primary inspection lane referred the driver of a Ford F-250 utility vehicle for a secondary examination. During the exam, a Border Patrol dog alerted to an odor emitting from the flatbed trailer the vehicle was towing. Agents examined the trailer and found bundles of narcotics under wood planks on the flatbed. After removing the excavating equipment being hauled on the trailer, agents found 64 bundles of marijuana. The driver was arrested on suspicion of drug smuggling and turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, along with the marijuana. The truck, equipment and trailer were also seized.
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Customs agents working at the commercial port in Nogales seized about $1.4 million worth of illegal drugs from a tractor-trailer rig crossing the border this weekend. The seizure was the third largest by Customs and Border Proctection at an Arizona port of entry, the agency said. On Saturday, July 7, 2018, the driver of a tractor-trailer rig was sent to a secondary inspection at the Mariposa Commercial Facility. A drug dog alerted to the trailer and agents discovered nearly 364 pounds of meth worth $1,092,000; six pounds of heroin worth about $100,000; seven pounds of fentanyl worth about $96,000; and about 6,000 pills suspected to be oxycodone, worth about $113,000. The drugs and tractor-trailer rig were seized. The driver, a 65-year-old man, was arrested.
Heroin bust
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On May 28, 2018, officers at the Morley Pedestrian Crossing in Nogales sent a 26-year-old woman to a secondary inspection after noticing her clothing appeared suspicious, the CBP said. A dog alerted to the woman and nearly six pounds of heroin was found wrapped around the woman's midsection. The heroin was worth about $100,000, CBP said.
Heroin bust
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On May 25, 2018, officers working at the Morley Pedestrian Crossing sent a 20-year-old woman for a secondary inspection. A search of the woman lead to the discovery of less than a pound of heroin taped to her crotch, according to a news release from Customs and Border Protection. The drugs were worth about $7,500.
Heroin bust
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On May 28, 2018, officers at the Morley Pedestrian Crossing in Nogales sent a 28-year-old man for an additional search. During the secondary inspection officers found nearly seven pounds of heroin taped to his waist. The drugs were worth about $114,000.
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A 16-year-old Tucson girl was arrested after Border Patrol agents found her hiding 9 ounces of fentanyl in her bra, Customs and Border Protection said.The teen was in a commercial shuttle van May 9, 2018, and was selected for further questioning by a Border Patrol agent at the Interstate 19 checkpoint south of Tucson. It was then discovered the girl was hiding a package of fentanyl — a powerful synthetic opioid — in her bra. The girl was arrested and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Port of Nogales arrested a 29-year-old woman after finding nearly 61 pounds of cocaine in the gas tank of her Ford SUV. Officers at the DeConcini crossing sent the Nogales, Arizona, woman for further inspection of her vehicle. A drug dog alerted to the vehicle and the drugs were found in the gas tank. The drugs were worth about $700,00. The woman was arrested.
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Border Patrol agents arrested a 19-year-old male Mexican national after finding five bundles of heroin hidden in his vehicle Saturday at the Interstate 19 immigration checkpoint. Agents sent the man to a secondary inspection of the Ford Mustang he was driving and inside the vehicle agents found 8 pounds of heroin worth about $97,000. Agents seized the car, drugs, and arrested the man on suspicion of drug smuggling. The case was 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 Port of Nogales apprehended a U.S. citizen involved in connection with a failed attempt to smuggle more than $71,000 worth of methamphetamine into the United States on April 30, 2018. Officers working at the Mariposa Crossing sent a 37-year-old Phoenix woman for further inspection of her Nissan SUV Monday morning. A CBP dog alerted to the vehicle, resulting in drugs being located in the vehicle’s flooring. The inspection led to the discovery of nearly 24 pounds of meth. Officers seized the drugs as well as the vehicle, while the woman was arrested and turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
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Customs officers in Nogales seized nearly 270 pounds of methamphetamine in a tractor-trailer load of mangoes. On April 25, 2018, Customs and Border Protection officers at the Mariposa cargo facility sent a Mexican national to a secondary inspection of the tractor-trailer rig he was driving. A angency drug dog alerted to the rig and a search uncovered the meth hidden under the rear floor of the rig. The 250 packages of meth are worth about $809,000, CBP said in a news release. Officers seized the drugs and the rig. The driver, 33, was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
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Border Patrol agents and a Tohono O'odham Police Department officer arrested a Mexican national after finding drugs being carried on horses near Federal Route 15 on Wednesday afternoon. The police officer encountered a man leading two horses with large burlap sacks near the village of Santa Rosa, northwest of Sells. As the officer approached, the man ran away leaving behind the horses. The officer seized the horses and called for Border Patrol assistance, according to a news release from Customs and Border Protection. Agents searched the area and found the man. The horses were carrying 262 pounds of marijuana and six pounds of methamphetamine, worth a combined total of $123,000. The man, who was in the country illegally, was arrested on suspicion of drug smuggling, CBP said.
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Customs and Border Protection officers at the Raul Hector Castro Port of Entry in Douglas stopped a woman from smuggling 22 pounds of marijuana into the United States on Saturday, April 14, 2018. Officers sent the 61-year-old woman for a further inspection of her Toyota truck following an alert by a CBP dog to a scent it was trained to detect. When officers searched the vehicle, they found packages of marijuana within the truck’s seats. The drugs have an estimated value of almost $11,000. Officers seized the drugs and vehicle, and arrested the woman on suspicion of narcotics smuggling.
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On April 15, 2018, Customs and Border Protection officers at the Mariposa crossing in Nogales sent a 44-year-old Mexican woman for an additional search of her Mercury SUV. There, officers removed more than 35 pounds of meth, worth more than $106,000 as well as more than 8 pounds of heroin, worth in excess of $140,000 from within the spare tire. The woman was arrested.
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Border Patrol agents arrested a U.S. citizen after finding two illegal aliens locked in the trunk of a rented Chevrolet Impala at the immigration checkpoint on Interstate 19 on March 29, 2018. Thursday afternoon. An agent working the primary inspection lane directed a 31-year-old Chandler man for a secondary inspection. When agents opened the vehicle’s trunk, they discovered a 19-year-old Honduran woman and a 31-year-old Mexican man inside. Both illegal immigrants were transported to the Nogales Station and processed for immigration violations. The driver was arrested on suspicion of human smuggling.
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Border Patrol agents arrested a 41-year-old Bisbee woman Sunday morning, March 31 2018, after finding two Mexican nationals locked in the trunk of her vehicle during a secondary inspection at the Arizona 80 checkpoint near Tombstone. After an agent working the primary inspection lane referred the driver of a Mercury sedan for a secondary inspection, a Border Patrol dog alerted to the vehicle’s trunk. When agents opened the trunk, they discovered a 32-year-old man and 44-year-old woman who had entered the U.S. illegally. Agents arrested the driver on human smuggling charges and seized the vehicle. The Mexican nationals were processed for immigration violations, according to Customs and Border Protection.
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Border Patrol agents working at the Interstate 19 immigration checkpoint Friday morning, Feb. 23, 2018, detained two United States Citizens from the greater Phoenix area, traveling with their 4-year-old child, after finding 6½ pounds of methamphetamine in their vehicle’s spare tire. After agents referred the 22-year-old male driver of a Nissan Sentra for a secondary inspection of the vehicle, a Border Patrol dog alerted to an odor it was trained to detect from the vehicle, according to Customs and Border Patrol. Agents checked the spare tire of the vehicle and discovered methamphetamine, worth in excess of $22,400. Agents arrested the driver and his 24-year-old female passenger on suspicion of drug smuggling and seized the drugs and vehicle, CBP said. The child was released to a family member. The case was turned over to Homeland Security Investigations.
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Border Patrol agents at the Interstate 19 immigration checkpoint arrested an 18-year-old U.S. citizen from Nogales, Arizona, after finding more than 59 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in his vehicle. Agents referred the teen, driving a Nissan Altima for a secondary inspection after a Border Patrol dog alerted to an odor it was trained to detect. Inside the vehicle, agents found 50 packages of methamphetamine valued in excess of $150,000. Agents arrested the teen for drug smuggling and seized the drugs and vehicle; which were then turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
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CBP officers at the DeConcini crossing in Nogales referred a 35-year-old woman for further questioning as she attempted to enter the United States in her GMC SUV on Feb. 15, 2018. During the incident, a CBP dog alerted officers to almost 96 pounds of meth, valued at over $287,000, hidden throughout the vehicle. The woman was arrested and the drugs and vehicle were seized.
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Officers at the Dennis DeConcini crossing in Nogales referred a 33-year-old Mexican woman, in possession of a SENTRI card, for a secondary search of her Chevrolet truck on Feb. 15, 2018. During the search, a CBP dog's alert led to the discovery of more than 17 pounds of cocaine, worth in excess of $196,000, and more than 5 pounds of meth, worth nearly $16,000. Officers found the drugs hidden truck’s center console. The woman was arrested on suspicion of narcotics smuggling and her SENTRI card, which is carried by pre-approved, low-risk crossers, was seized.
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CBP officers at the DeConcini crossing in Nogales referred on Feb. 9, 2018, a 49-year-old male Mexican national for secondary inspection of his Pontiac sedan when he attempted to enter the United States. During the inspection, a CBP dog alerted to an odor it was trained to detect, leading officers to discover nearly five pounds of meth, worth more than $56,000 in the glove compartment.
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Customs and Border Protection officers at the Dennis DeConcini crossing referred a 36-year-old Douglas man for further inspection of his Jeep on Feb. 9, 2018. A CBP dog alerted officers to more than 21 pounds of methamphetamine, worth approximately $64,000, as well as almost 14 pounds of heroin, worth $238,000, in the vehicle’s quarter panels.
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Border Patrol agents arrested a Tucson woman Feb. 2, 2018, at the immigration checkpoint on Arizona 80 near Tombstone after finding 111 bricks of marijuana hidden in her Chevrolet Impala. An agent working the primary inspection lane directed the 29-year-old woman, traveling with her young daughter, for a secondary inspection after a drug dog alerted to an odor it is trained to detect. Agents discovered about 123 pounds of marijuana worth about $60,000. Agents arrested the woman on suspicion of drug smuggling and seized the drugs and vehicle. The Department of Child Safety assisted in placing her daughter with a family member.
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Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents from the Nogales Station arrested a 29-year-old Phoenix woman on Feb. 3, 2018, after finding her with more than 10 ounces of heroin at the Interstate 19 immigration checkpoint. Agents referred the driver of a Nissan Sentra for a secondary inspection after an agency dog alerted to an odor it was trained to detect coming from the vehicle. While conducting a search on the vehicle and driver, agents discovered a package of brown heroin under the woman’s clothing. The drugs were worth about $7,800. The woman is being held on drug smuggling charges while awaiting disposition.
Smuggling van
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Border Patrol agents in Nogales arrested a 14-year-old boy who fled from agents in a van carrying 12 illegal immigrants, Customs and Border Protection said. On Jan. 21, 2018, agents patrolling east of Nogales attempted to stop a Dodge Caravan. However, the driver sped away and agents gave chase on Arizona 82 until the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed at the corner of Arizona 82 and Morley Avenue in Nogales, according to a CBP news release. The driver, a 14-year-old U.S. citizen from Nogales, ran away but was quickly caught by agents. Twelve Mexican nationals, all here illegally, were found in the van, the CBP said. The boy is facing charges of unlawful flight from a law enforcement officer, a felony. The illegal immigrants, ages 15 to 45, were arrested for immigration violations.
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Border Patrol agents arrested five men carrying backpacks with marijuana over the weekend near Gila Bend. This group was one of two groups of smugglers caught by agents on Jan. 26 and Jan. 27, 2018 near Gila Bend. In total, the marijuana seized in the incidents was worth about $170,000.
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Customs and Border Protection officers at the Port of Nogales arrested a 20-year-old Nogales, Arizona, man involved in an attempt to smuggle nearly half-a-pound of methamphetamine as well as 100 capsules of tramadol on Monday. Officers at the Morley pedestrian crossing referred the man for secondary inspection when he attempted to enter the United States. During the inspection, officers found a package of meth, worth nearly $1,200. In addition, the man had a second bag, which contained 100 capsules of tramadol, an opioid pain medication. Officers arrested the man and turned him over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
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Customs officers at the Naco port arrested a 26-year-old woman after finding marijuana packages taped to her stomach. Customs and Border Protection said the woman attempted to enter the U.S. on Jan. 13, 2018, and was sent to secondary inspection, where officers found about 2 pounds of marijuana. The drugs were worth about $1,100. The woman was turned over to the Cochise County Sheriff's Office.
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.
Border busts
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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.
