CBP arrests female with meth hidden inside her body
(Press Release) TUCSON, Ariz. – U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at Arizona’s Port of San Luis arrested a U.S. citizen attempting to smuggle nearly 4 ounces of methamphetamine inside a body cavity Thursday.
Officers referred the 28-year-old female for further inspection as she attempted to enter the U.S. via the pedestrian lane that morning. Subsequently, a CBP narcotics detection canine alerted officers to the presence of drugs. Upon questioning, the woman admitted she had narcotics concealed inside her groin area. The methamphetamine weighed nearly 4 ounces and has a $700 street value.
“The concealment of narcotics inside the body is an extremely dangerous method often attempted by smugglers,” said John Schwamm, San Luis Port Director. “It can be instantly fatal should the narcotics seep through the packaging and be absorbed into the body.”
Officers seized the drugs and arrested the woman for narcotics smuggling. The subject was turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Federal law allows officers to charge individuals by complaint, a method that allows for 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.
CBP’s Office of Field Operations is the primary organization within Homeland Security tasked with an anti-terrorism mission at our nation’s ports. CBP officers screen all people, vehicles and goods entering the United States while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. Their mission also includes carrying out border-related duties, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration and trade laws, and protecting the nation’s food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases.
