U.S. Border Patrol Agents Seize Drugs and Weapons, Arrest Three

Yuma, Ariz. – U.S. Border Patrol agents seized more than $1 million of marijuana, two weapons, recovered a stolen vehicle and arrested three people in three separate incidents this week.

Yuma Sector Border Patrol Agents recovered a stolen SUV loaded with 107 bundles of marijuana.

Early Tuesday morning, Border Patrol agents attempted to stop a vehicle near Avenue B and 8th Street. The driver refused to stop and sped away from agents, eventually losing control of his vehicle and crashing into a brick wall. The driver and passenger fled the scene to avoid arrest, but Border Patrol agents and the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office apprehended one of the suspects. Seized from the vehicle were a sawed-off shotgun, a .22 caliber handgun, ammunition, stolen body armor and a meth pipe. The Yuma County Sheriff’s Office took custody of the suspect and contraband.

Border Patrol agents detected the illegal entry of a 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe sport utility vehicle Tuesday evening approximately 30 miles east of the San Luis, Ariz., Port of Entry. When agents responded to the entry, the driver of the SUV turned around and drove back toward the border to avoid arrest. The driver and three passengers abandoned the SUV just north of the border fence and fled back into Mexico. Agents secured the vehicle and discovered 107 bundles of marijuana stacked inside. The SUV, which was reported stolen, was turned over to the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office. The marijuana, which weighed 1,242 pounds with an estimated street value of $993,600, was turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

On Wednesday, a Border Patrol canine team working at the Interstate 8 checkpoint alerted to a mini-van with two female occupants. A closer examination of the vehicle revealed a hidden compartment inside the quarter panel containing 57 pounds of marijuana with an approximate street value of $46,600. The driver and passenger were turned over to the DEA along with the marijuana. The Border Patrol seized the mini-van.

Since Oct. 1, 2009, the Yuma Sector Border Patrol has prevented more than 19,000 pounds of marijuana from entering the United States.