Pubdate: Tue, 12 Jun 2007
Source: Arizona Daily Star (Tucson, AZ)
Copyright: 2007 Arizona Daily Star
Contact:  http://www.azstarnet.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/23
Author: Brady McCombs
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)

BORDER SEIZURES OF DRUGS INCREASE

No More Bodies Found After Six In June's First Week

The discovery of bodies of illegal border crossers came to a 
temporary halt over the weekend for U.S. Border Patrol agents in the 
Tucson Sector but the drug seizures continued.

Between June 1 and June 6, agents found six bodies in the desert west 
of Tucson. Since then, they have found none, said Richard DeWitt, 
Border Patrol Tucson Sector spokesman. Through May, the number of 
known border deaths -- 88 -- were nearly on pace with the 90 known 
deaths at the same time last year.

Marijuana seizures are on the rise in the sector for the sixth 
consecutive year. Agents seized 647,736 pounds of marijuana from Oct. 
1 through May 31, a 40 percent increase from the same time period 
last year, figures show.

Agents added to that total with the seizure of 3,308 pounds in two 
separate seizures on the Tohono O'odham Reservation over the weekend, 
DeWitt said.

On Friday evening, agents tried to make a vehicle stop near Federal 
Route 19 around Sells, he said. The driver of a 2005 Chevy Silverado 
got away. Agents found 50 bundles of marijuana weighing 1,091 pounds 
inside, DeWitt said. The truck was reported stolen fromPeoria. On 
Saturday at 3 a.m. north of the village of Pia Oik on the western 
edge of the reservation, agents found an abandoned 2003 Dodge Ram 
with 110 bundles of marijuana weighing 2,217 pounds, DeWitt said. The 
truck was reported stolen in Phoenix on June 1, he said.

No arrests were made in connection with either seizure. The 3,308 
pounds has an estimated value of $3.3 million, according to figures 
from the National Drug Intelligence Center.

- -- Brady McCombs
- ---
MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman