APRIL 29, 2015
Border Report
Nogales CBP Officers Seize $284K in Cocaine
Customs and Border Protection officers at the Dennis DeConcini crossing arrested Kimberly Rojo-Chavez, 21, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, after finding 10 packages of cocaine in her Chevrolet sedan Tuesday.
A narcotics-detection canine alerted officers to more than 27 pounds of cocaine, valued in excess of $284,000, concealed in the vehicle’s trunk area.
Officers seized the drugs and vehicle involved, and referred Rojo to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Douglas CBP Officers Seize $157K in Marijuana
Customs and Border Protection officers arrested a Mexican woman for attempting to smuggle 314 pounds of marijuana through the Port of Douglas April 20.
Officers arrested Matilde Dolores Parra-Coronado, 51, of Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico, after a CBP narcotics-detection canine alert led to the discovery of more than $157,000 worth of the drug throughout her Isuzu SUV.
Officers seized the drugs and vehicle, and referred Parra to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
The seizure comes just three days after officers made seized 298 pounds of marijuana April 17 worth an estimated $149,000.
Nogales CBP Officers Seize Nearly $870K in Drugs
Customs and Border Protection officers arrested two Mexican nationals and two U.S. citizens during separate weekend smuggling attempts at the Port of Nogales.
Officers at the Mariposa Commercial facility referred a 28-year-old man from neighboring Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, for a secondary vehicle inspection of the tractor-trailer he was driving on April 18. A CBP narcotics-detection canine then helped officers locate more than 1,400 pounds of marijuana worth in excess of $736,000.
A day earlier, officers at the Dennis DeConcini crossing arrested Martin Fernando Galindo-Duran, 51, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, after finding 13 packages of methamphetamine in his Pontiac sedan. A narcotics-detection canine alerted officers to nearly 18 pounds of meth concealed in the firewall and quarter panel, valued at almost $53,000. Officers also arrested Analicia Cruz Campas, 28, of Tucson after a service canine alerted officers to her computer bag with more than six pounds of cocaine, worth in excess of $63,000.
On April 19, officers at the DeConcini pedestrian crossing referred Lili Blumenkron, 22, of Nogales, Arizona, for further inspection and located more than a pound of heroin, worth nearly $18,000, in her undergarments.
Officers processed all drugs and vehicles involved, and referred the subjects to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Douglas CBP Officers Seize $159K in Marijuana
Customs and Border Protection officers arrested two Mexican women during separate weekend attempts to smuggle marijuana through the Port of Douglas.
Officers arrested Thania Lizeth Gamez-Ballesteros, 26, of Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico, on April 17 after a CBP narcotics-detection canine alert led to the discovery of more than 298 pounds total, throughout her Mazda SUV. The drugs are worth almost $149,000.
A CBP narcotics-detection canine also alerted officers to a Ford sedan on April 19, driven by Damaris Duarte-Leyva, 32, of Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico. When officers inspected the vehicle, they found 21 packages of marijuana concealed in the dashboard – more than 19 pounds – worth nearly $9,600.
Officers seized all drugs and vehicles, and referred both subjects to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
CBP Officers Seize $53K Worth of Meth, 2 Arrested
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Port of San Luis arrested a 21-year-old man from San Luis, Rio Colorado, Sonora, Mexico, and a 15-year-old from San Luis, Arizona, during separate weekend smuggling attempts involving nearly 17 pounds of methamphetamine.
Officers referred Nestor Alejandro Rivera-Mendoza for a secondary inspection of his Ford truck as he attempted to enter the United States Saturday. After a CBP narcotics detection canine alerted to the presence of drugs in the tailgate, officers removed more than 15 pounds of meth valued at nearly $46,000.
On Sunday, officers referred a male teen for additional questioning as he attempted to enter the United States through a pedestrian lane. When officers searched the teen, they found three packages of meth affixed to his lower back and each of his thighs. The meth, weighing more than two pounds, is worth almost $7,000.
Officers seized the drugs and vehicle, and referred both subjects to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Federal law allows officers 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.
