Drug seizure at the border: Nearly 200 pounds of cocaine and meth seized at San Luis Port of Entry
(CBP photo of drug seizure)
SAN LUIS, Ariz. - Two drug seizures at the San Luis Port of Entry resulted in 117 pounds of meth and 69 pounds of cocaine being taken by federal agents.
The 1st seizure
The backstory:
The first seizure revealed 12 packages of meth in the floorboards of a Chevy sedan.
Customs and Border Protection agents said the vehicle was driven by a 23-year-old man who was a U.S. citizen trying to reenter the country from Mexico.
He was stopped on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at 5:30 in the morning and the vehicle was examined using "non-intrusive technology" that alerted authorities to the presence of drugs.
The 2nd seizure
What we know:
The second seizure happened on Thursday, Jan. 30, late at night.
Officials say a 42-year-old Mexican citizen and legal permanent resident was driving a Ford truck when a K-9 officer alerted CBP agents to the presence of drugs.
In the secondary inspection, agents noticed abnormalities with the speaker box and deconstructed the vehicle to reveal 25 packages containing 69 pounds of cocaine.
By the numbers:
CBP says the combined value of the two seizures was more than $800,000.
Drug smuggling tunnel shut down along Arizona border
Authorities say the tunnel ran from Mexico to San Luis in Yuma County. This is the third tunnel discovered near Yuma this year.
What they're saying:
"Our enforcement posture and multiple layers of inspection attributed to these significant seizures and ultimately prevented these dangerous drugs from entering our communities," stated Chris Leon, Area Port Director for San Luis.
Both men were turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.