San Luis CBP officers seize $136K in methamphetamine
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Arizona’s Port of San Luis arrested a Mexican national and a U.S. citizen after seizing more than $136,000 worth of methamphetamine during separate weekend incidents.
Officers on Friday referred a 38-year-old man from Calexico, California, for a secondary search of his Ford SUV when he attempted to cross into the United States. As a result, a CBP narcotics-detection canine alerted to the truck’s spare tire where officers found nearly 45 pounds of meth worth almost $135,000.
Officers on Saturday referred a 43-year old Mexican man, living in Somerton, Arizona as a legal permanent resident, for further questioning when he attempted to enter through the Port’s pedestrian lane. After a CBP canine alerted to an odor it was trained to detect, officers searched the man and found more than one pound of meth wrapped around his waist.
In both incidents, officers arrested the individuals for narcotics smuggling before seizing the drugs and vehicle. Both suspected violators were turned 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.
