Thursday, July 01, 2010

CBP’s U.S. Border Patrol Seizes Marijuana, Arrests 8 Smugglers

Wellton, Ariz. — U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested eight suspected smugglers and seized several bundles of marijuana in a desolate area of southwest Arizona on Sunday.

Border Patrol agents assigned to Yuma Sector’s forward operating base, Camp Grip, detected the illegal entry of 10 suspected smugglers at about 10 a.m. approximately 15 miles west of the Lukeville, Ariz. port of entry. Customs and Border Protection Office of Air and Marine pilots initially spotted the group and guided agents on the ground to their location.

Agents apprehended eight suspected smugglers; the remaining two smugglers returned to Mexico to avoid arrest. Agents also seized six makeshift backpacks filled with marijuana.

The marijuana weighed a total of 260 pounds with an estimated street value of $208,000. Border Patrol agents transported the marijuana to the Wellton Border Patrol Station to be processed for destruction. The eight suspected smugglers will be prosecuted and then processed for deportation.

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