November 22, 2004
CBP Border Patrol Seizes Cocaine Valued at $2.5 Million Dollars
Tucson, AZ - On November 21, 2004, CBP Border Patrol agents assigned to the Nogales Station seized more than 79 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated value of $2.544 million dollars.
Sunday at approximately 3:00 p.m., agents assigned to the Nogales Border Patrol Station encountered a vehicle that had entered illegally east of the Nogales Port of Entry, prompting agents to perform a vehicle stop on the Chevy Tahoe. Upon examination and suspecting there might be a hidden compartment, the agents requested the assistance of a Border Patrol Canine Unit. When the Canine Unit arrived on scene, the dog immediately alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle. A closer inspection resulted in the discovery of the cocaine, inside a hidden compartment behind the speaker box in the back of the vehicle.
The unidentified driver is a 28 year old Mexican national and his passenger who is a 27 year old Naturalized U.S. citizen, were arrested by agents. Both subjects, the vehicle and the cocaine have been turned over to the DEA for prosecution.
"The Tucson Sector K-9 program has been a significant asset to our enforcement efforts along the Southern Arizona border," said Border Patrol Chief Michael Nicley. "Although Border Patrol canines are typically utilized at traffic checkpoints, this demonstrates their ability to effectively operate in other aspects of Border Patrol operations."
The Border Patrol is a division of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, an agency within the Department of Homeland Security, responsible for managing and securing our nation's borders.
~CBP~
