AMADO, Ariz. (KGUN) — A sharp‑nosed K9 and a routine stop at the I‑19 immigration checkpoint in Amado led U.S. Border Patrol agents to seize more than $322,000 worth of narcotics and arrest the vehicle’s driver, the Tucson Sector said in a social media post.
Agents at the checkpoint stopped a Chevrolet Malibu after a K9 alerted to the vehicle. A secondary inspection turned up 14 bundles of suspected narcotics. Laboratory testing showed 11 bundles were cocaine (about 28 pounds) and three bundles were methamphetamine (about 3.3 pounds) — roughly 31.3 pounds total.
Authorities said the haul represents more than $322,000 removed from circulation. The driver was arrested and is facing criminal charges.
Border Patrol K9 teams and checkpoint inspections remain a frontline tool for stopping narcotics before they reach communities. Seizures like this reduce supply and create evidence for prosecutions, but they also highlight the steady flow of large shipments being moved on highway routes north of the border.
