C.B.P. News Release

Nogales CBP Officers Seize More than $600K in Cocaine, Meth

(Friday, December 02, 2011)

Nogales, Ariz. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers assigned to the Tucson Field Office, a component of CBP’s Joint Field Command – Arizona, seized more than $600,000 worth of cocaine and methamphetamine in four separate incidents yesterday in Nogales, Ariz.

Two of the largest seizures occurred at the Dennis DeConcini port of entry. In the first, officers referred a 21-year-old Mexican man for a secondary inspection of his Dodge sedan when he attempted to enter the U.S. After a CBP narcotics detection canine alerted to drugs in the trunk, officers located 10 packages of cocaine, weighing more than 26 pounds and valued in excess of $236,600, under the spare tire.

Later, officers referred a 27-year-old Mexican man for an additional inspection of his Ford truck. The vehicle was taken to a lift where officers discovered 14 packages of methamphetamines, weighing nearly 20 pounds and valued at almost $310,000, inside a non-factory compartment underneath the truck.
In all incidents, officers processed the vehicles and drugs for seizure, while the subjects were arrested and turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.

Individuals arrested are charged with a criminal complaint, which raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

Contacts For This News Release
Chris Leon
CBP Public Affairs
Phone: (520) 519-7047

CBP Headquarters
Office of Public Affairs
1300 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W.
Room 3.4A
Washington, DC 20229 Phone: (202) 344-1780 or
(800) 826-1471
Fax: (202) 344-1393

Department of Homeland Security

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