On Monday, April 28, 2008, officers working the Mariposa Cargo Facility targeted a tractor-trailer with a shipment of cucumbers destined for California from Sinaloa, Mexico and referred the vehicle for inspection. The boxes of produce were unloaded and officers used a narcotics detector dog to screen the boxes. After the dog alerted to narcotics odor coming from the shipment, the officers searched the individual boxes and discovered bundles of marijuana hidden among the cucumbers.
 
A total of 144 bundles, weighing more than 3,418 lbs, were removed and seized, along with the vehicle. The estimated street value of the narcotics is $5.5 million.
 

In a similar incident, On Wednesday, April 16, 2008, officers at the Mariposa Cargo Facility targeted a tractor-trailer with a shipment of tomatoes also destined for Los Angeles from Sinaloa, Mexico. During a search of the tomatoes, officers removed a total of 60 bales of marijuana from the shipment for a weight of more than 1,340 pounds. Estimated street value of the narcotics exceeds $2.1 million.
 

Since October 2007, approximately 15,878 pounds of marijuana, estimated to be worth more than $25.5 million, have been intercepted at the Mariposa Cargo Facility

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Border Patrol Agents Locate More Than Half Ton of Marijuana
(Tuesday, April 29, 2008)
Yuma, Ariz. – Border Patrol agents assigned to Wellton Station, Yuma Sector, seized 68 bundles of marijuana Monday in a smuggling load valued at more than $1 million.

At approximately 9:30 a.m., Border Patrol agents located a black Chevrolet Tahoe in a remote desert area about 25 miles southeast of Tacna, Ariz. This vehicle was determined to have been traveling in tandem with another vehicle, a Chevrolet Avalanche.
 

Border Patrol agents were following both vehicles traveling north on a dirt road from the U.S./Mexican International Boundary. The suspects driving the Chevrolet Avalanche were apprehended first, after which Border Patrol agents continued to search for the Chevrolet Tahoe, which was reported stolen out of San Diego, Calif.
 

The Tahoe was eventually located about a half mile south of where the first vehicle was apprehended. Agents found the Tahoe wrapped with a beige-colored vehicle cover that was used to conceal it in the desert surroundings. While agents were removing the cover they discovered that the vehicle contained 68 bundles of marijuana, weighing approximate 1,255 pounds with an estimated street value of more than $1 million.
 

The agents also found two sets of footprints heading in a northeastern direction. The Border Patrol is currently searching for the missing suspects of the Tahoe.
 

The marijuana was turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The stolen vehicle was turned over to the Arizona Vehicle Theft Task Force.
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Arizona Border Patrol Agents Seize More Than $1.2 Million in Marijuana
(Monday, April 28, 2008)
Yuma, Ariz. – Border Patrol agents assigned to Wellton Station seized 79 bundles of marijuana in a smuggling load valued at over $1.2 million, Sunday night.
 
Approximately 8 p.m., agents patrolling in a remote desert area 25 miles southeast of Tacna, Ariz., found evidence of an illegal vehicle entry on a road leading north from the international boundary. Agents followed tire tracks for about 10 miles until they veered off-road in an eastbound direction. After tracking the vehicle for about a mile, the agents encountered a white Chevrolet Avalanche that had become stuck in soft sand. Agents approached the truck and discovered 79 bundles of marijuana inside the vehicle along with two sets of footprints heading in a northeastern direction.
 

At 9:45 p.m., a CBP Air & Marine helicopter pilot located the two fleeing subjects attempting to hide in some brush about a mile and a half from the vehicle. Border Patrol agents responded and apprehended the pair.
 

The two subjects were determined to be citizens and nationals of Mexico illegally present in the U.S. The white Chevrolet Avalanche was reported stolen out of Calexico, Calif.

The 79 bundles of marijuana had a total weight of about 1,518 pounds with an estimated street value of $1,214,296.00.
 

The narcotics and smugglers were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration. The stolen vehicle was turned over to the Yuma County sheriff’s office.
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Border Patrol Arrests Sex Offenders in Arizona

(Wednesday, April 23, 2008)

Tucson, Ariz. – Within the last week, Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents have arrested two men in separate incidents within the Tucson Border Patrol Sector who had convictions for sex-related offenses.

On April 18, 2008 a Douglas Border Patrol agent apprehended a male subject who was illegally present in the United States. The subject’s fingerprint information was entered into the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Information System (IAFIS) where it was revealed that Domingo Marquez-Perez from Mexico, Mexico had an immigration and criminal history. Subsequent National Crime Information Center (NCIC) record checks stated that Marques-Perez had been previously arrested in North Carolina in 2005, for Statutory Rape 6 years of age or Older and Indecent Liberties with a Child. For this crime, Marquez pled guilty and was sentenced to 20 months in jail.

On April 22, 2008 a Border Patrol agent from the Wilcox Station apprehended a male subject, also illegally present in the United States. IAFIS and NCIC returns revealed that Juan Santana, a male subject from Michoacan, Mexico, had been previously arrested and convicted in Michigan for Criminal Sexual Conduct with Force or Coercion and was sentenced to 205 days in jail. Santana’s criminal history record also showed convictions for Carrying Concealed Weapons and Assault with Dangerous Weapons.
Both male subjects are pending removal proceedings and criminal prosecution.
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Agents in Tucson Seize Close to Ton of Drugs Overnight

(Wednesday, April 23, 2008)
Tucson, Ariz. — Border Patrol agents assigned to the Casa Grande and Douglas Border Patrol stations successfully seized more than 1,700 pounds of marijuana in two separate incidents on Wednesday.
 
While patrolling in a remote area early Wednesday morning, a Border Patrol agent assigned to the Casa Grande Arizona Border Patrol station performed a vehicle stop on a suspicious vehicle. Initially the driver refused to stop, but subsequently abandoned the vehicle and absconded into the desert. A search of the vehicle yielded ninety-nine bundles of marijuana weighing nearly 1,130 pounds with an estimated street value of $904,000.00.
 

In another incident, Border Patrol agents assigned to the Douglas Border Patrol station observed a vehicle traveling north from the international boundary in an area commonly used by human and narcotics smugglers. The driver refused to stop the vehicle, which had been reported stolen in Phoenix, Ariz. Border Patrol agents deployed a tire deflation device and successfully disabled the vehicle. Two individuals exited the vehicle and were able to abscond into Mexico. Border Patrol agents discovered several bundles of marijuana weighing more than 590 pounds with an estimated street value of $472,000.00.

In both cases the vehicles and marijuana seized were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
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These reports generate from our CBP office of Homeland Security.