The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Aviation division located two pickups loaded with a total of 4,000 lbs of marijuana in Southern Maricopa County. Deputies seized two vehicles carrying roughly 3,700 pounds of marijuana along with backpacks containing another 300 pounds of marijuana were seized on March 21st, in an area located off Interstate 8 near Gila Bend.
Also the Human Smuggling Unit of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office took nine people into custody on March 21, after an investigation of a mid-sized SUV with a California license plate. Four of the individuals were booked into Fourth Avenue Jail on charges related to human smuggling. The remaining five suspects, including two juveniles, were turned over to officials from ICE for border violation issues.
The white Infinity QX4 was spotted speeding at approximately 6:30 p.m. in area north of the Valley when its occupants were apprehended.
The suspects are from El Salvador, Guatemala and Mexico and were headed to Oregon and Nevada.
“Because these criminals are stashing these drugs in the desert in an attempt to avoid its seizure,” said Sheriff Joe Arpaio, “my office will be implementing new procedures to assist in finding and arresting these fleeing suspects.”