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Press Release - Tucson Sector PIO
November 19, 2004Press Release -- Drugs and Money Confiscated
2 United States Citizens and 1 Illegal Alien ArrestedTucson, AZ -- Today, at approximately 6:15 a.m., a Border Patrol Agent assigned to the Douglas Station observed three vehicles, a gray 1999 Pontiac Grand Am, a green 1996 Ford Taurus, and a blue 1994 Ford Tempo, traveling in tandem on a desolate stretch of Highway 191. The agent grew suspicious of the three vehicles and stopped the Grand Am near mile miler 9.5.
Inside the Grand Am, the agent found eight bundles of marijuana weighing 192 pounds. The female driver, a 17-year-old United States Citizen, was arrested without incident. The agent immediately alerted other agents in the area of the additional vehicles he was unable to stop.
Within ten minutes, the Border Patrol located and stopped the Ford Taurus and Ford Tempo. The Ford Taurus was found to contain ten bundles of marijuana, weighing 212 pounds. The female driver, a 28-year-old United States Citizen, and female passenger, a 22-year-old illegal alien from Mexico, were also arrested without incident.
The Ford Tempo did not contain any narcotics, but the male driver, a 18-year-old Mexican citizen lawfully in the United States, later admitted to being involved in the drug smuggling scheme. He was also arrested without incident.
A search of the four suspects revealed that the three females smugglers were concealing large amounts of currency on their person. The three females were carrying a total of $3,893. The money was seized by the Border Patrol as drug proceeds.
The three female drug smugglers, the two drug laden vehicles, the marijuana, and the currency was turned over to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The male suspect had his immigration documents cancelled and was removed to Mexico. The marijuana has a value of $324,160.
The Border Patrol is a division of the U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection, a new agency within the Department of Homeland Security, responsible for managing and securing our nation,s borders.
~CBP~
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