Posted: Thursday, February 13, 2014 10:30 pm

From staff reports

Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Wellton Station arrested five smugglers and seized 548 pounds of marijuana worth about $246,000 Wednesday during two separate incidents.

During one incident, agents patrolling south of Gila Bend stopped five men seen earlier walking through the desert carrying backpacks. The men reportedly admitted entering the U.S. illegally and dropping off backpacks in a wash nearby.

Agents searched the wash and located 12 backpacks containing 505 pounds of pot, valued at $227,000. Three of the men and the pot were turned over to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. The other two were juveniles and will be processed for deportation.

During the second incident, agents patrolling near Gila Bend located an abandoned backpack near Highway 85 containing 43 pounds of marijuana valued at $19,000. The pot was transported to Wellton Station for further processing.

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