Pubdate: Fri, 09 Jul 1999 Source: Arizona Republic (AZ) Copyright: 1999, The Arizona Republic. Contact: http://www.azcentral.com/news/ Forum: http://www.azcentral.com/pni-bin/WebX?azc Author: Chris Moeser, The Arizona Republic CONSULATE WORKER ARRESTED WITH POT U.S. customs agents arrested a Mexican consulate employee in Nogales on Thursday night on suspicion of smuggling 268 pounds of marijuana across the border. Drug-sniffing dogs picked up the scent of the narcotic concealed in the man's 1988 Dodge Caravan at about 6:45 p.m. at the Grand Avenue border crossing in downtown Nogales. The 43-year-old Nogales, Sonora, man was being held on suspicion of possession of a narcotics with intent to distribute and importation of a controlled substance. The man was expected to be arraigned in federal court in Tucson this afternoon, said Roger Maier, a spokesman for the U.S. Customs Service in El Paso. Maier did not know the type of job that the suspect held with the Mexican consulate's office in Nogales, Arizona. He sought to downplay the connection. "The real key here is that the discovery was made by a drug-sniffing dog," Maier said. Customs agents found 27 bundles of marijuana stuffed under seats throughout the van. Maier called the discovery a "pretty good sized load," adding that typical seizures are around 50 or 100 pounds. Authorities say the Arizona-Mexico border has become af funnel for drugs as U.S. law enforcement agencies have cracked down on smuggling in California and Texas. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake