Wednesday, August 11, 2010

San Luis CBP Officers Seize Cocaine Worth More Than $3 Million

San Luis, Ariz. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the San Luis Port of Entry continue to maintain vigilance and stop dangerous drugs from entering our country. Most recently, the officers stopped two cocaine smuggling attempts worth more than $3 million in one night.

On Aug. 4, at approximately 10:30 p.m. while CBP officers were processing travelers entering the U.S., a 35-year-old man applied for entry driving a pickup truck. The man was referred to secondary and was subsequently found to have 15 packages of cocaine in a spare tire with an approximate weight of more than 40 pounds. The cocaine had an estimated value of $1,840,000.

A second cocaine seizure occurred on Aug. 5, at approximately 2:30 a.m. when a 42-year old Blythe resident attempted to smuggle more than 29 pounds. The woman was referred to the secondary lot for further inspection by a CBP officer. During the search, 38 packages of cocaine were found within the dashboard area of the vehicle she was driving. The cocaine had an estimated value of $1,320,000.

“Keeping dangerous drugs off the streets by making seizures as significant as these contributes to the overall safety of our communities,” said Port Director William Brooks. “Our commitment to stemming the flow of narcotics through our ports of entry will not waiver.”

The two individuals were turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

A criminal complaint is simply the method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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