SandBoxUtah: Customs and Border Protection "Del Rio Border Patrol Sector Agents Seize Heroin, Marijuana Worth Nearly $1.5 Million"

"Del Rio, Texas – Del Rio Border Patrol Sector agents seized more than 1,703 pounds of marijuana and nearly one and a half pounds of heroin worth close to $1.5 million dollars over the past week.

Saturday, Eagle Pass South Station agents tracking a group of suspected undocumented immigrants encountered five abandoned military-style duffel bags hidden near a creek. The bags contained 281.83 pounds of marijuana worth $225,464. A search of the immediate area led to no further apprehensions or seizures.

 

Sunday, Carrizo Springs Station agents working in an area ranch encountered seven abandoned green duffel bags. A further search of the bags revealed a total of 290.9 pounds of marijuana worth $232,720.

 

Monday, Eagle Pass Station Marine Unit observed several subjects swimming across the Rio Grand River pulling several large floating bundles into Mexico. As agents approached them aboard an airboat, the subjects released the bundles and swam back into Mexico. Agents recovered four bundles containing more than 264 pounds of marijuana worth over $211.900.

 

Tuesday, Carrizo Springs Station agents working in an area ranch discovered five abandoned duffel bags containing 226.9 pounds of marijuana worth $181,520.

 

Wednesday, Eagle Pass Station agents observed several subjects running away from a sedan parked on the side of a highway and disappear into the brush. Agents followed the sedan as it drove away and initiated a vehicle stop. The vehicle failed to yield to the agents and became immobilized in an irrigation canal after it drove off the roadway in an attempt to elude capture. The driver was arrested and agents seized 276.4 pounds of marijuana worth $221,120 found inside the vehicle.

Also Wednesday, Eagle Pass South Station agents working at a traffic checkpoint encountered a suspicious subject aboard a commercial bus. Further investigation revealed that the subject was transporting more than 1.3 pounds of heroin concealed on his person worth over $106,550. Thursday, agents working in an area ranch discovered one abandoned duffel bag containing nearly 60 pounds of marijuana worth approximately $47,360.

 

Also Thursday, Eagle Pass Station agents observed one subject crossing the highway with two military-style duffel bags. When agents approached the subject, he along with several other subjects absconded back to Mexico. A search of the area led to the discovery of seven military-style duffel bags containing 303.6 pounds of marijuana worth $242,880.

 

All cases were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws."

SandBoxUtah: KSL Utah "Busted Spice operation may be part of nationwide drug ring"

(See related stories here and here)

 

Interesting to read some of the avatar comments around the State of Utah  on this bust.  There seems to be about the same ratio of pro-law enforcement to the legalize all drugs crowd to just nonsense trolls talking just to hear themselves.

 

Which is roughly what we have on the Western Slope of Colorado in commentary.  I would be curious to see what some of you who follow SandBox could do out there in trying to get a true dialogue going on one of their forums.  just sayin. 

 

Thank you to all the agencies, officers and agents who participated in this major bust. You're appreciated in both Utah and Colorado. 

 

Alex Cabrero:

"St. George — Police recovered more than $1 million worth of Spice and bath salts from a St. George warehouse earlier this week. Now investigators say the southern Utah operation could be a big part of a nationwide supply chain.

 
"This distribution center that was here in southern Utah was supplying Spice and bath salts throughout the U.S.," said Lt. David Moss, Commander of the Washington County Area Drug and Gang Task Force.
"That's just what they call it," Moss continued. "Spice is not spice you put on your food, and bath salts (are) not something you put in your bath."
 
They're really illegal drugs. Spice has a similar effect on the body as marijuana, Moss said, and bath salts act a lot like methamphetamine.
 
The warehouse was full the drug, made and distributed from inside. This week, police made five arrests on drug charges and took evidence from smoke shops in Washington and St. George.
 
KSL News left messages with the owners of those shops to get their side of the story, but they did not return our calls.
 
A worker at the Earrings and More smoke shop claims everything police took was legal.
 
"The people we arrested were the ones that were manufacturing and distributing, and are the ones that were supplying it to some of these businesses," Moss said.

Both drugs have become a big problem in southern Utah, Moss said, but part of the reason might be because the State Legislature made the drugs illegal about a year ago."

SandBox Utah: ABC 4 "Fear of bath salts making a major re-emergence in the market"

Kimberly Nelson:
"SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC 4 News) - It has been banned in 34 states, including Utah, but now with the DEA ban about to expire some fear “bath salts” could make a major re-emergence in the market.

Even though it’s illegal, bath salts have been found at many smoke shops here in Utah. Police have been trying to crack down on the substance, but it seems the law can’t keep up with how fast these designer drugs are being produced.

It’s sold as “bath salts”, and it’s labeled “not for human consumption”. The label also has a warning saying it is not safe to drive or operate heavy machinery after using the product. It goes on to describe this substance is placed in your bath water.

According to a recent article in USA-Today, the number of calls to Poison Control Centers nationwide involving bath salts soared in 2011 to about 6,138 from 304 in 2010...."
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