A group of nine people are caught trying to smuggle meth near Wellton, Arizona. (Courtesy Photo / Yuma Sector Border Patrol)
PHOENIX – Yuma Border Patrol agents stopped four groups over the weekend from smuggling 534 pounds of methamphetamine across the desert, according to authorities.
According to a press release, the agents arrested a total of 23 people while being assigned to the Wellton, Arizona station. The total value of the drugs in US dollars was nearly $ 1 million.
The first group was caught around 3 p.m. on Saturday when agents discovered a group hiding under a Palo Verde tree on the Luke Air Force Base bombing route. A 17-year-old unaccompanied child and a 48-year-old man were arrested while trying to flee the area. There were three backpacks of 120 pounds of meth, valued at $ 216,000.
An agent operating an all-terrain vehicle near Sentinel, Arizona less than 24 hours after the initial arrest, encountered a group of three people who were also reportedly hiding under a tree. The three men carried backpacks containing 110 pounds of meth valued at $ 198,000.
Two more groups of nine were encountered early Monday morning, both of whom were arrested east of Wellton. One group attempted to smuggle 195 pounds of meth worth $ 351,000 while the other had 109 pounds of meth worth over $ 196,000.
All smugglers arrested over the weekend wore camouflage clothing to hide and blend in with the environment. They also wore foam and carpet boots over their shoes to avoid leaving shoe prints in the dirt.
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