Customs and Border Protection officers arrested two men Monday (June 13) connected to separate smuggling attempts at the Port of Nogales.
Officers first referred a 19-year-old Nogales, Arizona man for further inspection after crossing through the Morley Pedestrian Gate. Officers were inspecting a bag the man said contained food items when they discovered nearly a pound of methamphetamine worth more than $3,000. The drugs were disguised as tamales.
Later, officers at the Dennis DeConcini crossing referred a 37-year-old man for a secondary inspection of his GMC truck. A CBP narcotics detection canine alerted officers to nearly 264 pounds of marijuana concealed in a shipment of brick pavers. The drugs are valued at more than $132,000.
Officers seized the vehicle and drugs, and turned both subjects over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
When officers cracked into a truckload of brick pavers, they discovered packages of marijuana