NEW YORK: U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Port of San Luis arrested a 21-year-old man from San Luis, Rio Colorado, Sonora, Mexico, and a 15-year-old from San Luis, Arizona, during separate weekend smuggling attempts involving nearly 17 pounds of methamphetamine.
Officers referred Nestor Alejandro Rivera-Mendoza for a secondary inspection of his Ford truck as he attempted to enter the United States Saturday. After a CBP narcotics detection canine alerted to the presence of drugs in the tailgate, officers removed more than 15 pounds of meth valued at nearly $46,000.
On Sunday, officers referred a male teen for additional questioning as he attempted to enter the United States through a pedestrian lane. When officers searched the teen, they found three packages of meth affixed to his lower back and each of his thighs. The meth, weighing more than two pounds, is worth almost $7,000.
Officers seized the drugs and vehicle, and referred both subjects to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Federal law allows officers to charge individuals by complaint, a method that allows the filing of charges for criminal activity without inferring guilt. An individual is presumed innocent unless and until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
