BP stops drug smuggling attempt

U.S. Border Patrol agents have prevented yet another drug smuggling attempt, arresting three suspected smugglers and seizing several backpacks of marijuana.

The latest failed attempt started at 7 a.m. in a desolate area of the southwest Arizona desert and involved agents from the Wellton station assigned to Yuma Sector’s Camp Grip.

Agent Shaun Kuzia, a spokesman for the Yuma Sector, said agents detected the illegal entry of several individuals Tuesday morning about 30 miles west of Lukeville, Ariz.

Agents then began tracking the suspected drug smugglers using signcutting, Kuzia said, following the group for more than 12 hours.

"Agents were working all day long on this group," Kuzia said. "That is how it goes sometimes. Sometimes it takes all day. Sometimes you catch them right away."

Kuzia said the agents eventually caught up to the group about 20 to 25 miles southwest of Dateland, apprehending three suspected smugglers and seizing five makeshift backpacks of marijuana.

The marijuana and the three smugglers were taken to the Wellton Border Patrol Station by the agents. The suspected smugglers will be processed for removal and the marijuana will be processed for destruction.

Kuzia said a total of 236 pounds of marijuana was seized with an estimated street value of $188,800.

During the month of December, Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents seized 3,954 pounds of marijuana worth about $2.9 million.

Seizures this month are down 13 percent compared last year at this time. According to Border Patrol records, the agency seized 4,555 pounds of marijuana worth about $3.6 million in December 2008.

Kuzia said there have been no large seizures made so far this fiscal year. Most of the seizures, he said, have been from backpackers carrying bundles of marijuana ranging in totals of 200 and 400 pounds.

He said the Border Patrol utilization of the right mixture of manpower, technology and infrastructure has not only stemmed the illegal cross-border activity, but has made it extremely difficult for the drug cartels to get their drugs into the country.

Camp Grip is Yuma Sector’s tactically deployed forward operating base that is designed to maintain operational control of the border between the Yuma and Tucson Sectors

James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854.