Tons of Marijuana netted by Customs and Border Protection

On Monday, January 21, 2013, Border Patrol Agents assigned to the Lordsburg, New Mexico Station spotted five vehicles traveling in tandem on NM County Road 1. Agents made stops on four-of-five vehicles traveling in the caravan, and later discovered them to be drug laden after inspection. With the assistance of Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office and CBP’s Office of Air and Marine, the stop netted approximately 13,700 pounds of marijuana, valued at more than $10.9 million. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (ICE/HSI) took custody of two subjects, later identified as 39-year old Leonardo Ortiz Chavez and 29-year old Samuel Garcia Miranda, both citizens of Mexico. The subjects will be prosecuted for their crimes.