1 Ton of Marijuana Seized at Nogales Port

NOGALES, AZ - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers at the Mariposa Commercial Facility in Nogales found more than cucumbers on the afternoon of December 21 when they discovered more than 2180 pounds of marijuana in the trailer of a 1984 Peterbilt truck bringing produce into the United States. CBP officers didn't recognize the trailer when it arrived at the port at around 4:15 PM and decided to refer it for further inspection. Officers then used the VACIS (Vehicle and Container Inspection System) to screen the trailer, looking for anomalies. When the results of the scan looked odd, they climbed in the back and discovered 104 bales of marijuana hidden among the cucumbers. The marijuana, truck, and trailer were seized by Customs and Border Protection officers. The driver, a 28-year-old man from Guasave, Sinaloa was arrested and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The value of the marijuana is estimated at $1,637,245. CBP officers at the Nogales port of entry also had two smaller seizures of marijuana yesterday morning. They stopped an 18-year-old man from Nogales, Sonora from smuggling in 35 pounds of marijuana hidden in the spare tire of an Isuzu Trooper and a 26-year-old woman from Nogales, Sonora from smuggling in more than 50 pounds of marijuana hidden in a compartment built into the trunk of a Mercury Grand Marquis. CBP officers at the Douglas port of entry stopped a 16-year-old boy from Agua Prieta from smuggling in almost 56 pounds of marijuana hidden in the gas tank of a 1990 Ford Ranger pickup after a narcotics detection dog alerted to the vehicle. CBP officers at the Lukeville port of entry stopped a 31-year-old woman from Caborca, Sonora from smuggling in almost 27 pounds of marijuana hidden in the gas tank of a 1994 Chevrolet Suburban.