GILA BEND, AZ — MCSO, DPS and border officials teamed up to intercept a $1.7 million drug shipment in the desert near Gila Bend.
MCSO reports that on January 30, two stolen trucks were spotted in the desert near Gila Bend, Arizona.
The trucks were seen in the desert east of State Route 85 trying to circumvent a checkpoint a couple of miles up the road.
DPS troopers watched from observation posts, and U.S. Border Patrol officials provided air support.
The three suspects reportedly fled into the desert, but MCSO deputies soon caught them.
The suspects are all Mexican nationals, according to authorities. They are Jose Jaime Lopez, 30, Yony Torres, 48, and Ruben Jimenez Espericueta, 46.
Investigators say the men were trafficking 221 pounds of meth and over 3,500 pounds of marijuana. The total value of the drugs is estimated to be over $1.7 million.
The men have been charged with conspiracy and transporting illegal drugs.
