http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/printDS/136811

Published: 07.06.2006

Customs officers seize 26 pounds of heroin at Nogales port of entry
By Daniel Scarpinato
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Customs and Border Protection Officers seized 26 pounds of heroin from a car trying to cross the border into Nogales, Arizona, on Wednesday evening.
The 21-year-old Mexican citizen was crossing through the port of entry at around 5:45 p.m., officials said. When the man started acting nervous during routine questions, an officer decided to search the car with a narcotics detector dog. After the dog detected drugs, officers say they found nine packages of heroin in the dashboard of the man's 1985 Oldsmobile.
Authorities are not releasing the man's name because he has not appeared before a magistrate.
"This is pretty significant to us," said Brian Levin, spokesman for Tucson Field Office. Levin said officers have seen a steady increase in heroin seizures, likely because of increased enforcement.
Since October 2005, the beginning of the fiscal year, Nogales officers have seized more than 106 pounds of heroin, Levin said. In the previous year, officers seized 75 pounds.
Authorities estimate the drugs confiscated Wednesday are worth $2.6 million.
But the Southern Arizona Counter Narcotics Alliance estimates the street value lower, at about $20,000 a pound, putting the total at just above $500,000, which could be higher depending on the specific kind of heroin and the region where it's being sold.
The bust was the second this week. On Monday, officers arrested a 17-year-old Mexican citizen after finding more than two pounds of heroin hidden in his shoes when he tried to enter the United State as a pedestrian, authorities said.
Authorities also touted a Tuesday agriculture seizure. Officers discovered 29 mangoes containing insect larvae, which were from a non-U.S. fruit fly species.