TUCSON, Ariz. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Arizona’s Port of Naco seized 94 pounds of marijuana worth an estimated $47,000 on Thursday.
Officers working at the Naco crossing referred a 63-year-old male Mexican national for further inspection of his Kia Sorento. During the inspection, a CBP narcotics-detection canine’s alert led officers to find multiple packages of marijuana within the vehicle’s doors and spare tire.
The subject was arrested for narcotics smuggling and turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The officers seized the marijuana and vehicle.
Federal law allows officers to charge individuals by complaint, a method that allows for 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.
credit:cbp.gov
