AZMEX UPDATE 27-2-2020

AZMEX UPDATE 27 FEB 2020

By Sumiko Keil
today at 11:22 am
Published
February 27, 2020
9:46 am

https://kyma.com/news/top-stories/2020/02/27/agents-seized-440k-worth-of-drugs-at-the-i-8-immigration-checkpoint/

Agents seized $440K worth of drugs at the I-8 Immigration Checkpoint

CBP
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - An Avondale man is arrested after agents found over $440,000 worth of methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin at the Interstate 8 Immigration Checkpoint, according to Border Patrol.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says the driver of a Chevrolet Cruz was sent to secondary inspection after a canine alerted them to his vehicle last Friday.

While agents searched the vehicle, it led to the discovery of a false compartment in the floorboard containing numerous packages.

CBP says over 100 packages of meth, cocaine, and heroin were found.
The total weight of meth was 103 pounds, cocaine weighed more than 10 pounds and nearly four pounds of heroin.

The 24-year-old driver, a United States citizen, was in possession of a SENTRI card,
which provides expedited processing at the border for pre-approved travelers who are considered low risk.

END


ALSO:

126th cross-border tunnel discovered in Nogales
• Staff Reports
https://www.pinalcentral.com/arizona_news/th-cross-border-tunnel-discovered-in-nogales/article_1ee01b2f-d49a-545b-a214-7a4a10005258.html

• Feb 27, 2020 Updated 1 hr ago

Border Patrol agents and Mexican law enforcement worked to identify a cross-border tunnel in Nogales Tuesday.
CBP

NOGALES – U.S. Border Patrol agents, working with Mexican law enforcement, discovered yet another cross-border tunnel Tuesday, that runs beneath the streets of Nogales.

Tucson Sector agents and Mexico's Guardia Nacional located the tunnel's entrance in the floor of the existing Grand Avenue drainage system in Mexico. The rudimentary tunnel, located approximately 580 yards west of the Dennis DeConcin Crossing at the Nogales Port of Entry, is hand-dug with no shoring, ventilation or lighting, authorities said.

The tunnel runs approximately 15-20 feet underground at its deepest point and extends approximately 30 feet from beginning to end, where the cartel left it incomplete.

U.S. authorities will continuously monitor the area until they remediate the tunnel. This is the 126th tunnel discovered in the Tucson Sector since 1990 and the second discovered mid-completion this fiscal year.

U.S. Border Patrol regularly works with the Government of Mexico, and binational cooperation with Mexican law enforcement plays a vital role in border security. Efforts such as tunnel sweeps aim to disrupt smuggling organizations and prevent the smuggling of narcotics and humans across the border.

END


AND:

• BORDER & IMMIGRATION
Charge against border activist Scott Warren dropped
Was due to be sentenced for misdemeanor conviction

Arizona border activist Scott Warren. (Source: Source; KOLD News 13)

By KOLD News 13 Staff | February 27, 2020 at 1:09 PM MST - Updated February 27 at 4:18 PM

https://www.kold.com/2020/02/27/charge-against-border-activist-scott-warren-dropped/

TUCSON, Ariz. (KOLD News 13) -
A Federal Court judge in Tucson dropped charges against a local humanitarian volunteer who was arrested while trying to help migrants in the desert.
The decision came on Thursday, Feb. 27 —
the day Scott Warren was supposed to be sentenced for a misdemeanor conviction of driving in a wilderness area
while working with No More Deaths/No Mas Muertes.

Federal prosecutors requested the dismissal in a last-minute filing, which was granted by Senior District Judge Raner Collins.
In a statement released from the Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney Michael Bailey
said humanitarian groups like No More Deaths need to follow the law.
Warren was acquitted of felony charges for giving aid to migrants near the U.S.-Mexico border in November 2019.
Defense attorneys for Warren cited religious freedom exception from the charges.
Greg Kuykendall, Warren's defense attorney, affirmed his argument that humanitarian aid "is not a crime"
following Thursday's dropped charges, according to a statement from No More Deaths.

END