Benson woman arrested for attempting to smuggle $500k in marijuana

By Elizabeth Walton | June 8, 2017 at 8:51 PM MST - Updated August 12 at 4:55 AM

Vehicle the bundles were discovered in. (Source: U.S. Customs and Border Protection)

SONOITA, AZ (Tucson News Now) - More than 1,100 pounds of marijuana was seized by Border Patrol agents at the Sonoita Station on Thursday, June 8, according to a CBP release.

The incident happened at 5 a.m. when an agent stopped an SUV on State Route 83, just north of Sonoita for an immigration inspection. The agent reported seeing a piece of black plywood separating the cabin from the rest of the vehicle and became suspicious.

According to the release the agent searched the vehicle with his K9 partner and located 50 bundles of marijuana concealed in the back of the SUV.

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The marijuana, worth an estimated $500,000 was seized and the driver, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and now faces the following charge - smuggling a controlled substance.

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