Jennifer Soules

The Republic | azcentral.com

Tucson Border Patrol agents arrested three suspected smugglers and seized more than 700 pounds of marijuana after responding to a suspicious activity call Monday morning.

According to a statement from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, ground agents from the Sonoita border station followed a helicopter guide to Elgin, about 55 miles south of Tucson, where agents found three suspected smugglers attempting to flee the area in two separate vehicles.

The statement did not identify the suspects by name, but said one was a United States citizen and the two others were Mexican nationals.

One of the vehicles, a pickup truck, was filled with more than 700 pounds of marijuana, worth about $360,000, the statement said.

The suspects used a black sheet in an attempt to hide the packages inside the truck. A thin sheet of plywood and some debris was scattered over the marijuana packages in the bed of the truck, the statement said.

All three suspects were arrested and both vehicles were seized.