Saturday, June 16, 2012

CBP Officers in Nogales, Ariz. Arrest Man for Cocaine Smuggling


Nogales, Ariz. — A Mexican national was arrested Wednesday for attempting to smuggle cocaine into the U.S. through the Mariposa port of entry in Nogales, Ariz.

Nogales Customs and Border Protection officers referred a 19-year-old man from Nogales, Sonora, Mexico for inspection of his Oldsmobile van when he attempted to enter the U.S. After a CBP narcotics detection canine alerted to the presence of drugs, officers located 12 packages of cocaine weighing more than 30 pounds inside the vehicle’s dashboard.

The drugs, worth nearly $277,000, and vehicle were processed for seizure. The subject was arrested and turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.

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 U.S. while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel.

Its 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.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.

No comments: