Customs and Border Protection officers arrested three Arizona women allegedly involved in separate smuggling attempts over the weekend at the Port of Nogales, resulting in the seizure of nearly 44 pounds of cocaine and methamphetamine.
Officers at the Dennis DeConcini crossing referred Yesika Maria Leyva-Palomo, 34, of Tucson, for further inspection Nov. 6 of her Chevrolet sedan. A CBP narcotics-detection canine alerted to the presence of drugs within the vehicle’s quarter panels where officers found more than 25 pounds of cocaine worth nearly $261,000. They also found almost seven pounds of meth, worth approximately $21,000.
Earlier in the day, officers at the Morley crossing referred Margaret Kathleen Riordan, 43, of Peoria, Arizona, for further inspection. After a CBP canine alerted to the presence of drugs within the woman’s undergarments, officers found more than one pound of meth worth almost $3,100.
At the DeConcini crossing on Nov. 8, officers referred Patricia Sanchez, 34, of Phoenix, for further inspection of her KIA sedan. A canine team alerted to the vehicle’s rear seats where officers found more than 10 pounds of meth worth more than $31,000.