ICE seizes 850 pounds of marijuana in Tucson

TUCSON, Ariz. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents seized 850 pounds of marijuana in Tucson Tuesday night at a local equipment sales business.

HSI agents working on an ongoing investigation were conducting surveillance in the area of Irvington Road and Tucson Boulevard in Tucson when they observed three individuals engaged in suspicious activity consistent with narcotics smuggling. The three men, in two pickup trucks, swapped drivers, made short trips between different parking lots and eventually dropped a passenger off to pick up a minivan in a different parking lot.

Agents then followed the minivan as it left the area and drove to the business located in the 2700 block of East Ginter Road in Tucson. Once the vehicle was on the property, agents approached the business and were given consent to access the property. Agents identified the minivan parked under a camouflage net near a large storage shed and detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. At the same time, two individuals attempted to flee the property and were quickly caught and detained for questioning. Agents then received permission from the owner of the property to search the shed, where they discovered the marijuana, which has an estimated value of more than $425,000.

No arrests have yet been made in this ongoing investigation.