Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents seized a semitrailer loaded with 1,703 pounds of marijuana hidden within a shipment of pumpkins and chili peppers.
Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents working at the Interstate 19 checkpoint referred a tractor-trailer for secondary inspection. Upon further investigation, they discovered 73 bundles of marijuana mixed within crates of produce. The driver, a United States citizen, was arrested and transported to the Nogales Station for processing. The drugs, worth an estimated $851,500, will be held for evidence.
In another unrelated incident yesterday, Sonoita agents following foot sign in the desert located 16 abandoned bundles of marijuana. The marijuana weighed 774 pounds and is valued at $387,000. The contraband was transported to the Sonoita Border Patrol Station for processing.
Also on Tuesday, a Mexican national was arrested Tuesday for attempting to smuggle heroin into the United States through the Dennis DeConcini Port.
Customs and Border Protection officers referred a 26-year-old man for inspection of his Ford truck when he attempted to enter the United States. After a CBP narcotics detection canine alerted to the presence of drugs, officers discovered two packages of heroin concealed inside of a non-factory compartment under the dashboard. The drugs weighed more than seven pounds with an estimated value of $101,000. The drugs and vehicle were processed for seizure. The subject was arrested and turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.