TUCSON, Ariz. - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers at the Nogales Commercial Facility seized methamphetamine March 9 from a Mexican national when he attempted to enter the United States through the Port of Nogales. The seizure is the largest methamphetamine load in Arizona port history.

CBP Officers discovered more than 600 packages of drugs concealed within a non-factory floor compartment of a tractor trailer that was laden with tomatoes and bell peppers, driven by a 34-year-old truck driver. Following an alert by a CBP narcotics detection canine, CBP officers seized approximately 690 pounds of methamphetamine with a street value of about $690,000.

“As proud partners of CBP, we stand ready to investigate drug seizures discovered at the ports of entry by those who are uniquely qualified in stopping attempts of illicit drugs from entering the United States,” said Juan Mariscal, the Nogales assistant special agent in charge for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “HSI remains dedicated to working with our law enforcement partners to keep our communities safe."

Area Port Director Michael Humphries lauded his staff at the Nogales’ Mariposa Cargo Facility for this record breaking drug seizure and arrest. “CBP officers are focused on our highest priorities which includes stopping the flow hard narcotics such as methamphetamine and opioids from entering our country. Our officers prevented these dangerous drugs from causing devastations to families and ultimately saving many lives, not only in our community but throughout the United States.”

The driver was subsequently turned over to HSI.

As the largest investigative agency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, HSI investigates and enforces more than 400 federal criminal statutes – more than any other U.S. law enforcement agency. HSI special agents use this authority to investigate cross-border criminal activity – including drug trafficking – and work in close coordination with local state and federal law enforcement agencies to target transnational criminal organizations that are bringing dangerous substances, such as illicit fentanyl and methamphetamine, into the community.