see also: in August 2008:   CBP in New York Apprehends Suspected Interpol Fugitive   Louisville CBP Finds Heroin in Woman’s Suit   CBP Officers Nab More than $1 Million in Narcotics in 48-hour Period   Philadelphia CBP Seizes $650,000 in Fake Bank Checks   CBP on a Roll Seizing Fake Handbags, Footwear Again in California   Calexico Downtown Port Officers Intercept $100K Narcotic Smuggling Attempt   CBP Outbound Inspection Yields 293 Unreported Ostrich Skins ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers

contacts for this news release

Tucson, Ariz. — In four different events on Monday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Arizona entries of Douglas and Nogales stopped $2.3 million in cocaine from being smuggled into the United States, arresting four people in connection with the attempts.

The largest seizure happened Monday morning at around 6:30 a.m., when officers at the Douglas port of entry became suspicious of the driver of a 2006 Honda CRV who was attempting to cross into the United States. During an inspection of the vehicle, officers discovered 16 packages of cocaine, weighing more than 39 pounds, hidden inside the vehicle. The driver, a 42-year-old woman from Mexico, was arrested and the cocaine and vehicle were seized.

The next seizure happened a few hours later, at 11:30 a.m., at the Dennis DeConcini port of entry in Nogales, when officers became suspicious of the driver of a 1992 Ford F-150 attempting to enter the United States. During an inspection of the vehicle, officers discovered 10 packages of cocaine, weighing more than 12 pounds, hidden inside the vehicle. The driver, a 31-year-old man from Mexico, was arrested and the cocaine and vehicle were seized.

The next large seizure happened 1:15 p.m. at the DeConcini entry when officers became suspicious of the driver of a Volkswagen Jetta attempting to cross into the United States. During an inspection of the vehicle, officers discovered 13 packages of cocaine, weighing more than 32 pounds, hidden inside the vehicle. The driver, a 28-year-old man from Mexico, was arrested and the cocaine and vehicle were seized.

A short time later at 2 p.m. officers screening pedestrians entering the country through the Morley entrance in Nogales became suspicious of a 14-year-old boy from Mexico. During an inspection of the boy, officers discovered two packages of cocaine, weighing almost five pounds, strapped to his body. The boy was arrested and the cocaine was seized.

All four people were turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for further investigation and possible prosecution.

The total weight of the cocaine seized in the four incidents is more than 88 pounds, with an estimated street value of almost $2.3 million.

Since the beginning of October, CBP officers at the ports of entry in Arizona have stopped 100 cocaine smuggling attempts and seized 2,872 pounds of the illicit drug, with an estimated street value of $73.5 million.

A criminal complaint is simply the method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.