January 18, 11

NEWS / Phoenix Woman Caught With 560 Pounds of Marijuana at Douglas Port of Entry

Douglas, Ariz. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers stopped a drug smuggling attempt when they seized 560 pounds of marijuana concealed inside a double floor in a Ford Expedition.

On Jan. 17 at approximately 7:30 a.m., CBP officers were screening traffic coming from Mexico. The officers selected a 2003 Ford Expedition for inspection. The vehicle was driven by a 31-year-old woman who was identified as a U.S. citizen and resident of Phoenix.

The CBP officers discovered that a double floor had been built into the entire floor area of the Expedition. The Phoenix woman was attempting to smuggle packages of marijuana concealed in the double floor. The total weight of marijuana was 560 pounds with an estimated value of $256,000.

CBP officers seized the vehicle and the marijuana. The woman was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for further investigation and prosecution.

A criminal complaint is simply the method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/local/01182011_2.xml