Local Men Arrested Attempting to Smuggle Nearly $169,000 in Meth and Cocaine

San Luis, Ariz. —Two local men were arrested in connection with separate attempts Saturday to smuggle more than nine pounds of methamphetamine and nearly three pounds of cocaine through the San Luis Port.

David Sotelo Del Prado, 22, of San Luis, Rio Colorado, Mexico, was referred for a secondary inspection of his Jeep SUV. After a CBP narcotics detection canine alerted to the presence of drugs, officers located 12 packages of methamphetamine worth almost $145,000.

A short time later, Joshua Preciado, 18, of Yuma, was referred for additional questioning when he attempted to cross into the United States through a pedestrian lane. When officers performed a routine search of Preciado, they located two packages of cocaine worth an estimated $24,000.

The drugs and Jeep were processed for seizure. Del Prado and Preciado were 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.

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.