U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers arrested two individuals and seized approximately 47 pounds of suspected methamphetamine in separate incidents last week.
The first incident began when officers stationed at the Nogales-Morley Gate Port of Entry pedestrian crossing referred a 16-year-old male for inspection prior to entering the United States on Sept. 15. After a brief search with the use of a narcotics-detecting canine team, the officers discovered more than three pounds of suspected methamphetamine concealed within an Xbox gaming system. The narcotics carried an approximate street value of $10,000.
The officers seized the suspected drugs and turned the individual over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations for further processing.
The second incident occurred on the same day when El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents stationed at the Highway 86 checkpoint arrested a 21-year-old woman for suspected smuggling of methamphetamine.
After the woman approached the checkpoint in her gray 2014 Nissan Sentra sedan, the officers conducted a brief inspection with the use of a narcotics-detecting canine team. When the officers were alerted to possible narcotics, the vehicle was searched and 35 packages wrapped in cellophane were discovered hidden under the front and rear floor mats. The suspected methamphetamine weighed approximately 44 pounds and carried an approximate street value of $175,480.
The woman, her vehicle and the narcotics were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency for further processing.