HAULIN
04/13/05, 1:58 PM
Yuma Sun
Border agents grab pot in dunes
BY JEFFREY GAUTREAUX
Apr 7, 2005
Agents from the Calexico Border Patrol station seized 948 pounds of marijuana Sunday in the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area.
Since February 25, agents from the Calexico station have seized over 4,000 pounds of marijuana in seven separate incidents in the dunes.
"As we catch more people in the dunes who are smuggling drugs, I think they'll definitely start looking for other areas because it won't be profitable to use this area," said Danielle Suarez, spokeswoman for the El Centro sector.
Sunday night, agents patrolling the Buttercup area in the dunes spotted six individuals on all-terrain vehicles scouting the area, according to a Border Patrol release. Soon after, the ATVs escorted a white sport utility vehicle into the United States from Mexico. The SUV drove northbound through Buttercup and got onto Interstate 8.
The driver then made an illegal U-turn across the median to travel westbound. However, the vehicle became stuck in the sand on the shoulder of the road.
Agents then approached the vehicle and apprehended the driver. Thirty-six individually wrapped bundles of marijuana were found in the vehicle.
The Drug Enforcement Administration took possession of the suspect, contraband and vehicle involved in the incident for further investigation.
Suarez said smugglers will likely continue to use the dunes, especially on the weekends, because of the cover that is offered by those who are camping or driving off-road vehicles. "They like to use others to blend in," she said. "They know that Border Patrol is having to watch so many things at once."
Suarez said Friday night 157 pounds of marijuana were seized from a dune buggy in the dunes.
© Copyright, YumaSun.com
Border agents grab pot in dunes
BY JEFFREY GAUTREAUX
Apr 7, 2005
Agents from the Calexico Border Patrol station seized 948 pounds of marijuana Sunday in the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area.
Since February 25, agents from the Calexico station have seized over 4,000 pounds of marijuana in seven separate incidents in the dunes.
"As we catch more people in the dunes who are smuggling drugs, I think they'll definitely start looking for other areas because it won't be profitable to use this area," said Danielle Suarez, spokeswoman for the El Centro sector.
Sunday night, agents patrolling the Buttercup area in the dunes spotted six individuals on all-terrain vehicles scouting the area, according to a Border Patrol release. Soon after, the ATVs escorted a white sport utility vehicle into the United States from Mexico. The SUV drove northbound through Buttercup and got onto Interstate 8.
The driver then made an illegal U-turn across the median to travel westbound. However, the vehicle became stuck in the sand on the shoulder of the road.
Agents then approached the vehicle and apprehended the driver. Thirty-six individually wrapped bundles of marijuana were found in the vehicle.
The Drug Enforcement Administration took possession of the suspect, contraband and vehicle involved in the incident for further investigation.
Suarez said smugglers will likely continue to use the dunes, especially on the weekends, because of the cover that is offered by those who are camping or driving off-road vehicles. "They like to use others to blend in," she said. "They know that Border Patrol is having to watch so many things at once."
Suarez said Friday night 157 pounds of marijuana were seized from a dune buggy in the dunes.
© Copyright, YumaSun.com