TUCSON – Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents assigned to the Douglas Station arrested three Mexican nationals smuggling narcotics after they fled from agents near the Arizona/New Mexico border on Thursday afternoon.
Agents using surveillance equipment reported seeing multiple individuals loading bundles of suspected marijuana into a Chevy Cruze along a dirt road south of State Route 80.
With support from an Air and Marine Operations helicopter crew, patrolling agents located the vehicle and attempted to conduct an immigration stop. The driver initially sped away but eventually pulled over along State Route 80.
Agents later identified the driver, a 25-year-old woman and two male passengers, ages 26 and 29, as Mexican nationals who had entered the country illegally. Agents seized the sedan and more than 140 pounds of marijuana worth approximately $70,000.
All three Mexican nationals were transported to the Douglas Border Patrol Station and processed for smuggling and immigration violations per Tucson Sector guidelines.
Federal law allows agents to charge individuals by complaint, a method that allows the filing of charges for criminal activity without inferring guilt. An individual is presumed innocent unless and until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials welcome assistance from the community. Citizens can report suspicious activity to the Border Patrol and remain anonymous by calling 1-877-872-7435 toll free. Reporting illicit activity could result in saving someone’s life.
