Officers arrest two at border on smuggling charges

May 21, 2013

A Mexican national has been arrested by Customs and Border Protection officers at Nogales, on drug smuggling charges. Spokeswoman Teresa Small says the 44-year-old was attempting to bring in 2000 pounds of marijuana briquettes, mixed in bags of charcoal.

“Some coals were legitimate and other coals were actually like, fake charcoal,” Small said. “So, it looked similar to charcoal but it actually wasn’t, it was actually marijuana inside.”

In another incident, Small says a 54-year-old Mexican man was arrested after trying to smuggle nearly $105,000 worth of unreported US currency into Mexico.  She says it was hidden inside the liner of his ice chest.