PCSO arrest man in pot, human smuggling incident

Twenty bundles of marijuana were confiscated Wednesday and a man arrested in a human smuggling case on the outskirts of Maricopa, according to a Pinal County Sheriff’s Office press release.

About 4:55 a.m. a deputy working with the West Desert Task Force attempted to stop a 2004 Chevy truck after he observed it speeding on Highway 84. When the deputy activated his emergency lights, the vehicle did not stop and continue on; eventually stopping after it ran into a concrete culvert as it attempted to turn into a farm field in the area of White and Parker Road.

The doors to the truck opened and three Hispanic males ran in a southeasterly direction. The deputy chased the driver on foot and caught him. Suspect Ignacio Nunez, 25 of Phoenix, was taken into custody. The other two males continued to run.

Inside of the bed of the truck, deputies located 20 bundles of packaged marijuana weighting 420 pounds with an estimated street value of $315,000.

Also seized was a Motorola handheld radio along with several batteries for the radio.

The suspect said he was offered $2,000 to pick up the marijuana and some people in the U.S. illegally from a location south of Highway 84 and drive them to Phoenix. He stopped along the highway and his truck was loaded with the marijuana by individuals hiding by the side of the road. After his truck was loaded, two of the men got into his truck.

The suspect said he knew it was illegal but he wanted the money to help his sick parents in Mexico, according to the PCSO press release.

Members of the U.S. Border Patrol responded and assisted deputies in searching for the two passengers who fled on foot but they were not found.

Nunez was booked for possession of marijuana for sale, transportation of marijuana, possession of marijuana and felony flight.