San Luis, Ariz. – Two men were arrested
by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers in separate incidents yesterday
for attempting to smuggle methamphetamine and heroin into the United
States.
Juan Francisco Diaz-Juarez, 21, of San
Luis, Rio Colorado, Sonora, Mexico was arrested after officers found nearly 18
pounds of methamphetamine and more than two pounds of heroin – with a combined
value of $304,200 – inside his vehicle. The seizure took place after Diaz was
referred for a secondary search of his Ford sedan and a CBP narcotics detection
canine alerted to the presence of drugs inside his front bumper.
At about the same time, officers
referred Louis Acosta, 38, of San Luis, Ariz., for a secondary inspection of
his Jeep SUV. A service canine alerted to a modified compartment in the
rear-tire wells, resulting in the discovery of 20 methamphetamine packages
valued at $225,000.
In each incident, the drugs were
processed for seizure and the subjects were turned over to Immigration and
Customs Enforcements’ 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.
All CBP assets in Arizona were realigned
under a unified command structure in February 2011. Joint Field Command –
Arizona unifies the Tucson and Yuma Border Patrol Sectors and Air Branches, as
well as the Tucson Field Office, to enhance border security, commercial
enforcement and trade facilitation missions to meet Arizona’s unique
challenges. Follow us on Twitter @CBPArizona or visit cbp.gov/Arizona for more
information.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is
the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged
with management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between
official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist
weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.
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