SONOITA, AZ – Border Patrol agents in Sonoita recovered over 1,000 pounds of marijuana from an abandoned vehicle on Tuesday, according to authorities.
Agents recovered 51 bundles of marijuana valued at $860,000 after an agent followed a suspicious truck on Highway 82 to a residence nearby.
According to authorities, a female canine handler agent was driving on the highway when she noticed a truck speeding up and slowing down inconsistently with the usual traffic.
The agent reportedly followed the truck for several miles before it turned onto a dirt road and accelerated away.
The agent found the truck sometime later at a residence.
According to authorities, it was abandoned when the agent arrived on scene and an initial search of the vehicle was performed by the canine unit, alerting the agent to the presence of narcotics.
Approximately 1,076 pounds of marijuana were reportedly found inside the truck, officials said.
Both the vehicle and drugs were transported to the Sonoita Station for processing.
Officials say this marks a record for the border patrol in the Tucson Sector, as this discovery and seizure brings the total value of marijuana confiscated to about $960 million for the fiscal year of 2009. This amount is the highest in U.S. Border Patrol history.
