Thread: Sonoran man arrested drugs in shoes attacks officer

Published: 08.10.2007

Sonoran man arrested on smuggling, assault charges
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
A 22-year-old Sonoran man trying to smuggle heroin and cocaine in his shoes assaulted a Customs and Border Protection officer at the Mariposa port of entry in Nogales Thursday afternoon, a Customs and Border Protection spokesman said.
The incident began at about 12:30 p.m. when officers noticed the nervous behavior of a passenger in a 1993 Nissan Sentra that officers were inspecting, said spokesman Brian Levin.
Officers didn’t find any drugs in the vehicle but were still suspicious of the man’s behavior. They decided to search him and were escorting him to a private area inside the building when he struggled free and tried to run back to Mexico, Levin said.
During his attempt to escape, he charged an officer and knocked him to the ground, Levin said. Other officers were able to grab the man during the ensuing struggle.
They found two pounds of heroin and one-half pound of cocaine hidden inside the soles of his shoes, Levin said. The drugs have an estimated value of $35,284, according to figures from the National Drug Intelligence Center.
The man was arrested on charges of assaulting a federal officer and narcotics smuggling and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents for further investigation and prosecution, Levin said.
The driver of the car was not charged and released.
The agency doesn’t track assaults on agents, Levin said. They aren’t very common, but appear to be on the rise, he said, citing anecdotal evidence.
Customs and Border Protection officers have arrested 1,352 people on various charges, including narcotics violations, criminal warrants and immigration violations, since Oct. 1, compared with 1,008 people all of fiscal year 2006, Levin said.
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/printDS/195854

The driver of the car was not charged and released.

This is outrageous! Like the driver didn't have a clue as to what was taking place. This is frustrating that the driver was an accessory to the crime and let go. These people really are above the law.