JUNE 17, 2015
Weekly Arizona Border Report
Nogales CBP Officers seize $377K in hard drugs
Customs and Border Protection officers arrested a female Mexican national and a male Mexican national on Wednesday for allegedly attempting to smuggle more than $377,000-worth of heroin and methamphetamine through the Port of Nogales.
Officers at the Mariposa crossing arrested Martha Fabiana Corrales-Gonzalez, 27, of Magdalena, Sonora, Mexico, after a CBP narcotics-detection canine alerted to the Toyota SUV she was driving. During a secondary inspection, officers discovered 16 packages of narcotics within the rear driver side quarter panel. The heroin weighed more than 20.5 pounds with an estimated value of nearly $289,000, while the meth weighed more than two pounds with an estimated value of more than $7,200.
A short time later, officers at the Dennis DeConcini crossing arrested Roberto Patino-Perez, 31, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, after a drug detection canine alerted to his Isuzu SUV. A further search of the vehicle led to an ice chest that was hollowed out to conceal the drug packages. The walls of the cooler contained nearly five pounds of heroin, worth an estimated $68,000, and more than four pounds of meth with an estimated value of more than $12,000.
Officers seized the drugs and vehicles, and referred Corrales and Patino to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Douglas CBP Officers nab teen pedaling drugs
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers assigned to the Port of Douglas arrested a 17-year-old Douglas teen on June 6 after finding more than three pounds of marijuana, worth nearly $1,600, concealed within the bicycle’s tires.
Officers seized the drugs and bicycle. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations took custody of the teen.
Lukeville CBP Officers arrest drug offender
A Phoenix man wanted on drug-related charges was apprehended Monday by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers assigned to the Port of Lukeville.
Officers referred Ricardo Benavides Cristerna, 37, for additional questioning when he attempted to enter the United States through a vehicle lane. During a routine records check, officers learned he was wanted by Maricopa County on an outstanding arrest warrant for drug possession crimes. After confirming the active warrant, officers turned Cristerna over to the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
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.
San Luis CBP Officers seize 22 pounds of meth
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Port of San Luis arrested a 36-year-old Mexican national for allegedly attempting to smuggle more than 22 pounds of methamphetamine into the United States.
Officers referred Ruth Escobedo-Armenta, of Mexicali, Sonora, Mexico, for a secondary inspection of her Nissan SUV when she attempted to enter the U.S. on June 7. After a CBP narcotics-detection canine alerted to the presence of drugs, officers found 22 packages of meth worth almost $67,000.
Officers seized the drugs and vehicle, and referred Escobedo to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Nogales CBP Officers seize stolen vehicle, arrest two
Two Phoenix area women were arrested Tuesday at the Port of Nogales after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered they were attempting to drive a stolen vehicle into Mexico.
Officers performing outbound inspections referred Quiana Laynette Workman, 22, and her passenger, Karla Elizabeth Garcia, 18, both from Avondale, for additional questioning. When they ran records checks on the Nissan truck Workman was driving, Nogales Police confirmed the vehicle was reported stolen.
Officers seized the vehicle and turned both women over to the Nogales Police Department.
CBP Officers seize unreported currency
Two Mexican nationals were arrested on Tuesday for failing to report more than $100,000 in U.S. currency when they attempted to drive into Mexico through the Port of Douglas.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers conducting outbound inspections selected a Chevrolet truck, driven by Dennis Armando Brown-Lopez, 43, for further inspection when he and Maria Delia Barrientos-Romero, 45, both of Agua Prieta, Sonora, Mexico, attempted to cross into Mexico.
After officers discovered the currency hidden with the truck, they processed the vehicle and currency for seizure, and referred Brown and Barrientos 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.
Two U.S. citizens arrested, smuggling nine Mexican nationals
Wellton Station Border Patrol agents arrested two United States citizens for attempting to smuggle nine Mexican nationals in separate vehicles June 5.
Agents stopped two vehicles traveling in tandem through Dome Valley in an alleged attempt to circumvent the Interstate 8 checkpoint.
A 20-year-old male U.S. citizen was transporting four Mexican nationals – one woman and three men – while a 30-year-old female U.S. citizen, was transporting five Mexican nationals – a man and four women.
The two drivers will be prosecuted for felony alien smuggling. All immigrants will be processed in accordance with Yuma Sector guidelines.
San Luis CBP Officers seize ammunition
Customs and Border Protection officers arrested a woman from San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, Mexico, for attempting to smuggle ammunition into Mexico through Arizona’s Port of San Luis.
Officers arrested Adrian Salazar-Meza, 23, after an outbound inspection of her Nissan SUV on June 6 led to the discovery of 2,000 rounds of ammunition under one of the vehicle’s rear seats.
Officers seized the ammunition and vehicle, and referred Salazar to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
This is the second ammunition seizure in just more than a week. On May 30, officers at the San Luis Port seized 1,450 rounds of assorted ammunition concealed within the quarter panels of an SUV headed for Mexico.
CBP Officers seize more than $49K in hard drugs
Officers seized more than five pounds of heroin and methamphetamine during separate weekend smuggling attempts at the Port of Nogales.
Customs and Border Protection officers at the Mariposa crossing referred Miguel Angel Peralta-Puebla, 31, from Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, for further questioning and a secondary inspection of his Ford truck on June 6. After a CBP narcotics detection canine alerted to the presence of drugs within luggage in the truck’s bed, officers found two packages of heroin within the luggage’s lining. The packages weighed more than three pounds and are worth close to $43,000.
On June 7, officers at the Dennis DeConcini crossing referred a 14-year-old female Mexican teen for further inspection at the pedestrian crossing. After CBP narcotics-detection canine’s alert to possible drugs, officers searched the teen’s clothing and found more than two pounds of meth, worth in excess of $6,000, underneath.
Officers seized all drugs and one vehicle, and turned both subjects over 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.
CBP's Office of Field Operations is the primary organization within Homeland Security tasked with an anti-terrorism mission at our nation’s ports. CBP officers screen all people, vehicles and goods entering the United States while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. Their mission also includes carrying out border-related duties, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration and trade laws, and protecting the nation's food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases.
