Posted: Feb 9, 2010 8:38 AM
TUCSON, - U.S. Border Patrol Agents seized more than 4,000 pounds of marijuana, valued at $3.2 million, in four separate incidents over the weekend.
In two of the incidents, agents from Tucson Sector's Western Corridor made two seizures of more than 1,600 pounds each.
"These interdictions and our accomplishments to date in the west desert are the results of the combination of infrastructure, technology and personnel." Division Chief of Operations James G. Wainer says, "The continued efforts by our agents assigned to specialty units such as the HPU combined with technology such as the MSS continue to demonstrate our effectiveness."
On a larger scale, an agent operating a Mobile Surveillance System on Friday spotted multiple people on a mountain ridge and called the Ajo Station Horse Patrol Unit to help.
HPU located 36 bundles of abandoned marijuana weighing more than 1,600 pounds and valued at approximately $1.3 million.
Agents searched the area but were unable to locate the smugglers.
The marijuana was taken to the Ajo Station for processing.
On Saturday, agents assigned to the Casa Grande Station spotted tire tracks in a remote area commonly used by smugglers. Agents followed the tracks and discovered an abandoned vehicle stuck in mud, and with a little more than 1,600 pounds of marijuana inside. Agents estimate the marijuana's value at $1.2 million. The marijuana and vehicle were transported to the Casa Grande Station for processing.
Between October 2009 and January 2010, agents seized more than 350,000 pounds of marijuana with an estimated value exceeding $287 million.
During the same time frame last year, the Tucson Sector Border Patrol seized 341,000 pounds of marijuana.
Comments