Agents with the Tucson Sector of the US Customs and Border Protection agency in Arizona have been very busy over the last several weeks. Earlier this week, a CBP helicopter crew alerted agents on the ground to a vehicle that appeared to be involved in some type of smuggling activity. The occupants of the vehicle had fled on foot by the time agents arrived at the scene but they left behind an AK_47 assault rifle that was cocked and loaded as well as additional magazines of ammunition. Later that same day and a short distance from the first abandoned vehicle, another abandoned vehicle was found by agents. They reported finding a cache of supplies that they say are typically used to “resupply” drug smugglers.
This all occurred about two weeks after a local citizen contacted the Tucson Border Patrol station to inform agents there that they had witness was they described as “clearly illegal activity”. Again, when agents arrived at the location reported to them by the citizen, the individuals had already left, presumably on foot. According to CBP agents, however, they had left behind a handgun, a significant amount of ammunition, and a stash of marijuana that agents say has a street value of more than $100,000.
Just two days before that, agents discovered an abandoned vehicle with a 9mm handgun inside and that same week they arrested two US citizens who were caught trying to smuggle a Mexican national across the border. Agents also stopped a vehicle that was suspected of smuggling that same week and found what agents described as a “significant amount” of marijuana. The driver of the car attempted to flee agents when they began approaching the vehicle but got stuck in a large mud puddle. Agents eventually discovered that the driver was a Mexican national.