U.S. authorities have arrested two Mexican men who allegedly attempted to drive a commercial bus carrying nearly 500 pounds of fentanyl over the southern border into Arizona.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) arrested co-drivers Martin Valencia Dessens and Luis Eduardo Virgen Pena on January 27 at the Dennis DeConcini port of entry in Nogales after a canine officer noticed “anomalies” in the rear wheel well of the bus, reported NewsNation.
Court records obtained by the outlet revealed that officers found 92 packages containing small blue pills that tested positive for fentanyl, weighing in at over 483 pounds.
A plastic bag discovered hidden in the dash console held $11,010 in cash, investigators said.
The bus was originally headed to Los Angeles, California, from Mexico but had diverted to the Arizona port of entry.
Dessens, 32, reportedly denied knowledge of the large wad of cash in an interview with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents.
A Border Patrol officer sits inside his car as he guards the U.S./Mexico border fence in Nogales, Arizona, on February 9, 2019. (ARIANA DREHSLER/AFP/Getty Images)
Court records show he claimed that he and Pena had just returned from Las Vegas, Nevada, and spent the night in a Nogales, Mexico, hotel before heading to pick up passengers in Los Angeles.
According to Valencia, it is possible that someone could have gained access to the bus when it was parked outside of the Mexican hotel.
A criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona stated that HSI agents believed that Valencia “did not seem surprised” when the narcotics and money were found.
“When asked why he had not crossed through the designated bus lane at the nearby Mariposa port of entry, Valencia said he and his driving partner decided to set off early for Los Angeles, and that the bus lane usually does not open that early,” NewsNation reported.
Both drivers are facing charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, and they are set to appear before an Arizona judge on February 5 for a detention hearing.
