Douglas CBP Officers Seize Black Tar Heroin

Douglas, Ariz. — A Silicon Valley woman was arrested Tuesday for attempting to smuggle heroin through the Douglas port of entry.

Customs and Border Protection officers referred Rachel Nicole Amaya, 28, of Morgan Hill, Calif., for inspection of her Jeep Cherokee when she attempted to enter the United States. After a CBP narcotics detection canine alerted to the presence of drugs, officers located a metal box with more than 11 pounds of liquid that included dissolved black-tar heroin.

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

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

The Office of Field Operations is the primary organization within Customs and Border Protection tasked with an anti-terrorism mission at our nation’s ports. CBP officers screen all people, vehicles and goods entering the United States while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. Their 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 (CBP) 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.