Thread: Invader bus with 1,577 lbs. of dope busted

$3.5 Million in Marijuana, Cocaine Seized At Arizona Land Port
1,577 Pounds of Dope Discovered in Hidden Compartment on Charter Tour Bus
(Friday, October 19, 2007)



Nogales, Ariz. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Nogales port of entry stopped several attempts at smuggling narcotics into the country this week, including an attempt to smuggle almost 1,600 pounds of marijuana into the United States hidden in a bus early yesterday morning.

While performing anti-terrorism and contraband interdiction operations at the Dennis DeConcini port of entry at around 2 a.m. yesterday, CBP officers selected a charter tour bus for inspection based on suspicions raised during questioning of the driver and inspection of the bus paperwork.

The officers decided to utilize a CBP narcotics detector dog to help their inspection. The dog alerted to the odor of narcotics coming from the interior of the bus, which prompted the officers to conduct a thorough search.

The bus was screened using a vehicle X-ray system, which showed abnormalities in the bus’s structure, further raising the officers’ suspicions.

A thorough intensive physical inspection revealed an access hatch to a hidden compartment. When it was opened, the officers discovered 179 bundles of marijuana, weighing a little over 1,577 pounds. Estimated street value of the narcotics is more than $2.5 million.

As a result of the discovery, officers arrested five people in connection with the failed smuggling attempt. All five Mexican citizens were turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents.

Customs and Border Protection officers also stopped two attempts to smuggle cocaine into the country, arresting two Mexican citizens.

On October 17, officers at the Dennis DeConcini port of entry arrested a 47-year-old man from Nogales, Sonora after finding more than 25 pounds of cocaine hidden inside a compartment built into the undercarriage of the 1996 Ford Thunderbird and on October 18, officers at the same port of entry arrested a 26-year-old woman from Nogales Sonora after finding more than 37 pounds of cocaine hidden in the quarter panels of the vehicle she was driving. Both individuals were turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Estimated value of the cocaine seized is more than $1 million.
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/new ... 2007_2.xml

Related thread:
http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-87446-nogales.html+bus