Sun, Jul 05, 2009

Tucson Region

Mexican immigration official arrested with 167 lbs. of pot

By Brady McCombs
Arizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 10.28.2008
A Mexican immigration official was arrested Sunday at the Lukeville port of entry on charges of trying to smuggle marijuana into the country.
At about 5 p.m. Sunday, officials pulled over a 2002 Dodge pickup truck driven by Francisco Enrique Celaya-Carrillo at the Lukeville port of entry in Southwestern Arizona, a criminal complaint from the U.S. Attorney's Office shows. They found 167 pounds of marijuana hidden in the spare tire and gas tank, the complaint shows.
Celaya-Carrillo, 53, admitted knowing about the marijuana and said he was going to be paid $10,000 to drive the truck to Phoenix, the complaint says.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials confirmed Celaya-Carrillo worked for the Mexican immigration agency in Sonoyta, Sonora.
Celaya-Carrillo had his initial appearance Monday in federal court in Tucson and has a detention hearing set for Wednesday, a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office shows.