FLORENCE: Three separate incidents in the west desert of Pinal County early Thursday resulted in the arrest of 21 suspected drug smugglers and netted more than 1,700 pounds of marijuana, authorities said.
The Pinal County incidents culminate an active week for the U.S. Border Patrol which saw the seizure of four tons of marijuana in southern Arizona near the Mexico border.
The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office held a press conference Friday to detail the area busts – the largest of which came shortly after 8 a.m. on Thursday. PCSO deputies were contacted by the Border Patrol for help with a group of about 40 smugglers seen walking down a wash near Hidden Valley Road and Century Road southwest of Maricopa. After three hours of work, 16 of the estimated 40 smugglers were arrested and nearly 1,000 pounds of marijuana was seized.
Two earlier incidents that morning, one involving a high-speed chase, resulted in another five arrests and 700-plus pounds of marijuana being confiscated.
Babeu, speaking to television reporter after the press conference in Florence, went into greater detail about the specifics of the bust.
“In just eight hours in a small sliver of our state, we have 61 members of the Sinaloa cartel trying to evade us,” Babeu said. “We have 19 cartel scouts on mountaintops we’ve arrested this past year alone.”
Of the 21 smugglers arrested – all of whom now face drug smuggling charges – 19 are Mexican nationals and the other two are U.S. citizens. Roughly twice as many suspects got away as the number of those arrested.
“We showed up, and they’re running everywhere,” Babeu said of the bust PCSO assisted the Border Patrol with. “Try to arrest a few people – much less 61.”
In the major bust made with Border Patrol, the individuals arrested were carrying camouflage-covered backpacks with between 40 and 70 pounds each of marijuana. Babeu said it is likely the smugglers would have walked several days to reach this point, nearly 70 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Babeu went on to say that while only marijuana was confiscated in the three busts made Thursday, the smugglers will often carry harder drugs as well, such as methamphetamine, cocaine or heroin. He estimated the street value of the marijuana to be nearly $800,000.
“It should prompt you to think, what else is going on,” Babeu said at the press conference. “In law enforcement, we call this a clue. This underscores the fact that we have a serious problem here.”
Earlier the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced multiple law enforcement agencies participated in the seizure of over 8,000 pounds of pot, worth an estimated $4.1 million near Douglas.
The incident took place Monday morning when Border Patrol agents tried to stop three vehicles suspected of carrying contraband near State Route 80 by Douglas. Two of the drivers abandoned their vehicles and jumped into another car that sped away.
