Man busted with hard drugs
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Port of San Luis said officers arrested a 42-year-old Phoenix man Thursday after finding more than 37 pounds of hard drugs, valued at more than $262,000, in his Ford van.
CBP said a CBP narcotics-detection canine alerted officers to the vehicle’s spare tire, where officers found nearly 27 pounds of meth. The drug are worth an estimated $80,000. They also found more than 10 pounds of heroin, valued in excess of $182,000.
Officers seized the drugs and vehicle, and referred the man 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.