www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/local/16022.php

Published: 06.15.2006

Border patrol chase yields $500k worth of marijuana

DAVID L. TEIBEL
Tucson Citizen
U.S. Border Patrol agents came under fire twice, returning fire once, Wednesday night while trying to capture suspected marijuana smugglers who later abandoned more than a half million dollars worth of marijuana.
No border patrol agents were hit by the gunfire, said Senior Patrol Agent Sean King, a border patrol spokesman here.

The shootings started after a border camera monitor spotted a Mercedes Benz SUV at 7:05 p.m. heading north from the border along a dirt road near the KS Ranch, about six miles southeast of Nogales and about a half mile north of the border, King said.

Six agents were sent to the area to investigate and as they got there the Mercedes driver sped away.

The agents chased the vehicle and someone in the SUV fired at least several shots at the lead border patrol truck, hitting the windshield and radiator, King said, adding agents returned fire with pistols and rifles. Agents did not know if they hit any of the suspects, King added.

Three men abandoned the SUV and fled toward Mexico.

Agents found 694 pounds of bundled marijuana in the abandoned SUV, King said. He said the marijuana has a street retail value of $555,560.
Other agents arrived and a suspected illegal immigrant was found hiding in the desert nearby and was taken into custody.

As agents continued their investigation more shots were fired from across the border, King said. He said agents could not see who was shooting at them and did not return fire.

After more agents and a border patrol helicopter arrived, two more men were found hiding in the desert, King said.

He said all three denied knowing anything about the abandoned SUV or the shots. The three were being held in a federal detention facility in Nogales this morning until they could be questioned by FBI special agents, King said.

Their names and the names of the border patrol agents shot at were not released.

King said Arizona Department of Motor Vehicles had no record of the SUV's vehicle identification number and the license plate on the vehicle had been reported stolen.