Major marijuana busts over Thanksgiving weekend

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The Thanksgiving Day weekend was busy for Border Patrol agents assigned to the Casa Grande station, as the group seized a combined 600-plus pounds of marijuana valued at more than $1.4 million.

The first bust occurred Friday when agents stopped a vehicle driving off-road in the desert. After a thorough search with the help of a K-9 unit, the agents discovered more than 100 pounds of marijuana concealed in the gas tank.

The second bust happened Saturday when agents tracked footprints of suspected smugglers in the desert for several hours and discovered 10 bundles of marijuana weighing more than 500 pounds.

After discovering the marijuana agents continued to search the area for suspects, but found no one.

In both incidents, the marijuana was taken to the Casa Grande station for processing.

“Our collective goal is to greatly reduce the likelihood that narcotics can be successfully smuggled through the west desert,” Associate Chief Agent Raleigh Leonard said. “With continued deployments of sophisticated detection technology, increasing numbers of agents and enhanced communication amongst southern Arizona law enforcement agencies, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for narcotic traffickers to conduct operations without being detected.”

The Border Patrol continues to rely on the community for information. To anonymously report suspected illegal activity, call 1-877-872-7435.