San Luis CBP Officers seize $113K in hard drugs

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Arizona’s Port of San Luis arrested three United States citizens and one Mexican national after seizing more than a combined 36 pounds of methamphetamine and fentanyl during separate incidents since last Thursday.

Officers working the pedestrian lanes on Sunday referred a 33-year-old Mexican man for a secondary search when he attempted to cross into the United States. As a result, a CBP narcotics-detection canine alerted to the man’s crotch where officers found more than five ounces of possible fentanyl worth more than $6,000.

Saturday evening, officers working with a CBP canine at the pedestrian lanes referred a male 16-year-old U.S. citizen for further questioning when he attempted to enter the U.S. During the encounter, the canine’s alert led officers to locate 1.3 pounds of meth, worth nearly $4,000, taped to the teen’s inner thighs.

Moments later, officers again at the pedestrian lanes referred an 18-year male U.S. citizen for further inspection. When officers started to search the subject, he made an unsuccessful attempt to flee, however; was immediately apprehended. During the subsequent search, officers discovered almost 2.5 pounds of meth taped to the subject’s upper torso and inner thighs. The drugs are estimated to be worth nearly $7,300.

On this past Thursday, officers referred a U.S. woman for a further search of her Ford sedan when she attempted to enter the United States. A CBP canine alert led officers to the back seats. The methamphetamine weighed more than 32 pounds, worth $96,000.

In all of the incidents, officers arrested the individuals for narcotics smuggling and seized the drugs and vehicle. All four suspects were then 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.