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TUCSON - Over 1,522 pounds of marijuana were seized from a stolen vehicle in the west desert last night as part of a targeted joint operation between the Border Patrol, ICE and the Pinal County Sheriff's Office.

Border Patrol agents with the West Desert Task Force responded to detection technology near their location, as a Customs and Border Protection helicopter, also in the area, responded and observed a vehicle covered with a tarp, according to a news release from CBP.

The agents arrived and found an abandoned pickup truck containing 71 bundles of marijuana. The vehicle and drugs were transported to the Ajo Border Patrol Station for processing.

The 1,522 pounds of marijuana is worth an estimated $761,000, the news release states, and the vehicle was reported stolen out of Goodyear, Arizona.

"Border Patrol agents remain vigilant while maintaining the security of our nation's borders," CBP officials state in the news release. "Partnerships with other federal, state, tribal and local agencies continue to yield significant dividends against transnational criminal organizations attempting to exploit Arizona's border region."