February 24, 2016
Border Report
Wellton Station Border Patrol Agents arrest 10, seize more than 400 pounds of marijuana
Wellton Station Border Patrol agents arrested 10 illegal aliens Feb. 21, caught in the act of smuggling 414 pounds of marijuana into the U.S. from Mexico.
Agents assisted by Air and Marine Operations encountered the group traveling through the Cabeza Prieta Wildlife Refuge near Yuma Sector’s forward operating base, Camp Grip. The drugs are worth an estimated $207,000.
All subjects and drugs will be processed per Yuma Sector guidelines.
CBP Officers seize $94,000+ in methamphetamine
Customs and Border Protection officers arrested a Mexican national for an alleged attempt to smuggle more than 31 pounds of methamphetamine, valued in excess of $94,000, through the Port of Nogales Feb. 19.
Officers at the Dennis DeConcini crossing referred Reyna Michelle Navarrete-Leon, 21, for further inspection of her Ford sedan when she attempted to enter the U.S. During the inspection, a CBP narcotics-detection canine alerted officers to the presence of drugs within the vehicle’s rocker panels.
Officers seized the drugs and vehicle, and turned Navarrete over to 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.
Douglas CBP Officers seize $178K in marijuana
Customs and Border Protection officers at the Raul Hector Castro Port of Entry in Douglas arrested a Mexican national on Feb. 17 for an alleged attempt to smuggle more than 355 pounds of marijuana worth nearly $178,000.
Officers arrested Miguel Angel Ramos-Joy, 27, after finding multiple packages of marijuana during an inspection of his Ford truck.
Officers seized the drugs and vehicle, and turned Ramos over to 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.
Nogales CBP Officers seize $274K in cocaine
TUCSON, Ariz. – ustoms and Border Protection officers arrested a Mexican national for an alleged attempt to smuggle more than $274,000 worth of cocaine through the Port of Nogales Feb. 16.
Officers at the Dennis DeConcini crossing referred Luis Arturo Lopez-Illingworth, 31, for further inspection of his Chevrolet SUV when he attempted to enter the U.S. as a SENTRI cardholder. After a CBP narcotics-detection canine alerted to drugs within the vehicle’s dashboard, officers removed more than 26 pounds of cocaine.
After revoking his SENTRI privileges and seizing the vehicle and drugs, officers turned Lopez over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Nogales CBP Officers seize $8.5M in marijuana
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Mariposa Commercial Facility seized more than $8.5 million in marijuana – approximately 17,060 pounds – from a Mexican national Feb. 12 when he attempted to enter the United States through the Port of Nogales.
Officers discovered the drugs within six palletized boxes identified as aircraft parts in a tractor-trailer driven by Gerardo Cruz, 23, of Colonia La Mesa, Sonora, Mexico, following an alert by a CBP narcotics-detection canine.
Officers seized the entire shipment and referred Cruz to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Nogales Port Director Guadalupe Ramirez praised the efforts that resulted from this seizure. “Near record seizures such as this are the result of a combined effort by our officers, canine, and technology.” Ramirez concluded, “This seizure represents the second largest marijuana interception in Arizona’s port history; the most significant marijuana seizure was more than 20k pounds in November of 2013.”
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
