Border Patrol agents arrest 3 people with over $150,000 of meth in desert

PHOENIX — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers made multiple arrests Tuesday after discovering more than $150,000 of methamphetamine on three individuals backpacking in a remote area of the desert.

Three Mexican nationals were traveling through the desert southeast of Dateland when Yuma Sector agents from the Wellington Station encountered the group, the agency announced in press release Thursday.

Once spotted, the individuals dropped their makeshift backpacks before agents apprehended them near their cargo, officials said.

Agents discovered 78 packages of meth in the backpacks.

The total weight of the narcotics was around 79 pounds with an estimated street value of over $158,000.

The drugs were seized and the three in possession were referred for criminal prosecution.

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