Border Patrol seizes $1M in drugs, arrests 8 people at Nogales crossing
Sep 4, 2020, 4:25 AM
(U.S. Customs and Border Protection photo)
PHOENIX — U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized an estimated $1 million in drugs from eight people in seven different incidents at the Dennis DeConcini Crossing in Nogales last weekend, the department announced.
The drugs, believed to be methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl and cocaine, had a combined weight of just below 175 pounds.
Seven of the suspects are United States citizens and the other is from Mexico, according to Border Patrol.
Three arrests were made on Friday.
First, two 18-year-olds driving a sedan were stopped. Border Patrol allegedly found 10 packages with 31 total pounds of cocaine in the rear rocker panels.
Later, a 29-year-old man driving through the same checkpoint was stopped. Border Patrol allegedly found 19 pounds of cocaine inside eight packages that were hidden inside hollowed-out pieces of wood.
One arrest was made Saturday. A canine alerted police to nine packages inside the back doors of the vehicle of a 24-year-old man. Inside were allegedly eight pounds of heroin and four pounds of methamphetamine.
Five arrests were made on Sunday.
A 24-year-old was allegedly found with three pounds of fentanyl pills inside a pair of socks in his backpack. A 61-year-old is accused of hiding 76 pounds of meth hidden in the legs of a wooden table. A 22-year-old woman was allegedly discovered with 33 pounds of meth inside the gas tank.
One minor was arrested. A 17-year-old girl was allegedly found with 165 grams of fentanyl pills.