Smugglers caught with $350K worth of pot in vehicle
Photographer: U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Copyright 2011 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Posted: 06/06/2011
SANTA TERESA, NM - Border Patrol agents seized more than $350,000 worth of marijuana at the Mexico-New Mexico border just after 10 a.m. Sunday, officials said.
Nicholas Walters, 28, attempted to cross into New Mexico at the Santa Teresa point of entry with 273 bundles of marijuana concealed in a non-factory floor compartment of his 2004 Nissan Armada, according to CBP officials.
Walters only declared clay souvenirs, officials said.
Walters and 28-year-old Jaime Leigh Torres, a passenger in the vehicle, were arrested and turned over to Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations special agents, CBP officials said.
Officials said a gamma-ray exam detected anomalies in the car’s floor, and further inspection revealed the hidden compartment.
The 447.98 pounds of marijuana has an estimated value of $358,384, CBP officials said.
According to officials, the case has been accepted for federal prosecution.
Copyright 2011 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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